The Girl and The Long Distance Romance
by Thomas Mc
Summary: This, (mostly) WAFFy, story is part of the 'Five of Hearts' series and a sequel to 'The Girl From The Shadows'. It tells of the four years of long distance romance between Jennifer and Byron. Vincent does not appear in this story until the last chapter and Catherine only makes a token appearances before then.
1. Summer 2009

**The Girl and The Long Distance Romance  
**The Five Of Hearts Series  
_by Thomas Mc_

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**_Author's Note_**_: This, (mostly) WAFFy, story is part of the '**Five of Hearts**' series and it tells of the four years of long distance romance between Jennifer and Byron. So many readers had asked for more on Cathrine and Vincent's kids so I decided to expand this series of stories. Vincent does not appear in this story until the last chapter and Catherine only makes token appearances before then. _

_The stories of waitress Wendy Baranello, Joan Baez and The Tavern On The Green are brought to you courtesy of **The Wall Street Journal** online ~_ _h-t-t-p : / / online. wsj news/ articles/ SB10001424052748704792104575265010399168040 (remove the dashes (-) and blank spaces).I ran across this little anecdote while doing research on The Tavern on the Green for this story and it just seemed likely that in all that time Wendy would have to have crossed paths with Catherine and her daughters several times so I just had to include her in this story._

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**Chapter 1 : Summer 2009**

**Saturday Arrival**

Byron stepped out of the limo and looked up at the front of the very high class hotel that he and the Senator were staying in during this little political junket. The front face of the building glowed with the soft illumination from the late evening sun, giving it a slightly dreamlike appearance that seemed to match his mood. He glanced over at The Senator who smiled encouragingly back at him. This was his second summer as an intern to The Senator who had also become a mentor to him.

Byron's dreamlike mood deepened as he turned, shifting his gaze across the street into Central Park. His mind drifted back to the last time he was in New York.

He had been exploring the city that afternoon when he became lost and encountered a gang of street toughs. He had managed to hold his own against them until, stepping on a beer bottle, he had fallen and was an instant away from death. That was when he had been saved by the most incredible and, to his mind, the most beautiful, young woman he had ever encountered. What happened next was so quick that he was barely aware of what occurred. She had single handedly tossed the four street toughs around like they were feather light mannequins. After she had left them all on the ground groaning she had led Byron to safety then disappeared before he could even find out who she was. That evening he encountered her a second time at a Broadway musical. They had connected, each being attracted to the other, and this time they had exchanged phone numbers and e-mail addresses.

The girl's name had turned out to be Jennifer Chandler and was the daughter of the wealthy and a bit eccentric socialite/ADA Catherine Chandler. They remained in contact throughout the following year. Over this last year he had read and heard many interesting tales about Jennifer's mother. Some of the tales he encountered were pretty incredible if not downright unbelievable. As for Jennifer, the more they communicated, the more he was intrigued by her and the more he wanted to know about the strange incredible beauty that had saved his life last summer.

On this trip the Senator had also brought his wife along. She had always wanted to see New York and was hoping to possibly catch a Broadway play while they were here. She had heard about her husband's encounter with Catherine Chandler last summer and had expressed an interest in meeting the notorious, wealthy and beautiful New York ADA. He had promised to try to introduce them to each other on this trip. She had also heard about Byron's unusual encounter with the mysterious daughter of Catherine Chandler and had expressed an interest in possibly meeting the girl as well during this visit.

The Senator had informed Byron that he would have all day tomorrow free before the political meetings began the day after. Byron and Jennifer had made plans to meet tomorrow morning for breakfast and spend the whole day together. He had also promised to introduce Jennifer to The Senator's wife during tomorrow morning's breakfast.

The three of them strode up to the main desk and The Senator identified himself.

"Ah, yes." The man at the desk responded. "Here you are. You have the park-side penthouse suite. It is one of the two best suites we have with an excellent view of Central Park."

The Senator looked at the man in surprise. "I appreciate the suggestion, but I reserved two regular rooms. My budget just doesn't cover anything so extravagant as the penthouse."

The man behind the desk blinked once, frowned then looked back down at his computer display for a moment. "Sir, it says here that your reservation was upgraded two days ago by a Miss Catherine Chandler. The additional charges for the upgrade have been placed on her personal account." He pursued his lips a moment as he looked at his screen. "It also mentions a package held for you." He turned toward the back wall and retrieved two envelopes from one of the numerous little open cubby-holes on that wall. "This was left for you by Miss Chandler." With a half smile teasing at the man's face, he handed the two envelopes over to the Senator. "I'll get your keys."

The Senator's wife was staring wide eyed first at the man behind the desk then at her husband. This was turning out to be a nicer vacation than she had expected.

One envelope had the Senators name on the front, the other had Byron's name on it. The Senator handed the second envelope to Byron and proceeded to open the one for himself. The Senator's wife gasped when he pulled out two box seat tickets for tomorrow night at the same Broadway theatre that Catherine had taken him to last summer. There was also a confirmation note for dinner reservation for two at an hour and a half before the play. It was at one of the more prestigious Restaurants in Manhattan. The last item from the envelope was a hand written note:

**I thought you might like to take your lovely wife out for a romantic evening on the town. The limousine will pick you both up ****20**** minutes before your dinner reservation. Both of you should have some fun while you're here. I look forward to meeting your wife at the theatre tomorrow night. **

**~ Cathy**

The senator looked up from the note. "How did she know you would be coming with me?" Then he glanced over at Byron with one eyebrow raised in inquiry.

Byron cleared his throat. "I, ahhh, I may have mentioned it to Jennifer the last time I talked to her."

They were interrupted by the man behind the desk. He held out three keys to the Senator. "Here are the keys to your suite. The suite has two bedrooms with separate baths and direct access into the hallway. They are joined by a large common room that also accesses the hallway." He smiled at the three people. "Enjoy your stay." He then called a bellhop over to take their bags up to their room.

The Senator smiled and spoke to Byron. "Well are you going to open that envelope?"

Byron glanced down at the envelope in his hand. "Oh. Ah, yea." He opened it and found two more tickets to the same play and a single piece of paper.

**_Looking forward to seeing you again tomorrow . I will meet you in the lobby of the hotel at 9:00 am for breakfast. With your Senator and his wife . I hope you like your room – (that was mother's idea). Until tomorrow morning. _**

**_Jennifer_**

The bellhop had finished loading their luggage onto his cart and indicated that they should precede him to the elevators. Byron stuck the note back in its envelope and they all headed toward the elevators.

The elevator disgorged them on the top floor and the bellhop led them to an alcove with large impressive double doors in the center of it. "This is your suite." He pointed to the other two doors at either end of the alcove. "Those are the doors to the individual bedrooms." He then opened the double doors and led them into the suite's common room. The common room included a small combination bar and kitchenette and a dining nook. The far wall was broken by French doors that opened onto a balcony that also extended to both bedrooms and overlooked Central Park.

The Senator's wife was enthralled by the accommodations and had to explore every corner of the suite while the bellhop placed their bags in their rooms and explained the amenities of the suite.

~ BnB ~

**Sunday In The City**

The next morning the buzzer of his travel clock pulled Byron from a pleasant dream of walking through the park with Jennifer. He awoke to the luxury of a soft king size bed and stretched lazily then slowly pried his eyes open. He glanced around at the well appointed room. After taking just enough time to shower, shave and dress, Byron hit the elevator. He stepped out into the lobby about ten minutes before the appointed time. Jennifer was already there waiting for him. She smiled and waved for his attention. The first thought that went through his mind was that she was even more beautiful than he remembered.

As soon as he reached her, she threw her arms around him in a tight hug. "Byron, it's so good to see you again." She glanced around. "Where's your friend and his wife?"

Byron cocked his head with a half shrug. "They were still getting ready when I left the room. They should be down shortly." He cocked his head the other way and smiled. "By the way, his wife really appreciated the nice surprises your mother arranged for her and The Senator."

Jennifer shrugged. "It was nothing. Mother liked your friend."

A few minutes later The Senator and his wife arrived in the lobby and together they headed into the restaurant just off the lobby. The Senator's wife was fascinated, amused and charmed by Jennifer and her stories of life in New York. After an enjoyable breakfast, which was billed to their suite, the two couples separated and each pair went off to explore the city.

~ o ~

Jennifer and Byron started the day with a ferry ride out to the Statue of Liberty. Byron gazed out at the approaching statue. "Beautiful isn't she." He took a deep breath. "When I was very young, my mother's grandmother used to tell me stories of when she was a little girl and saw that statue for the first time. Her family emigrated here from Greece and that was the first thing she remembered seeing as they stood by the boats rail watching the approach of their new home. Her father had lifted her up on his shoulder so she could see better."

Jennifer's arm went around his waist and she hugged him. "You've mentioned her in a few of our discussions over the last year. She sounds like she was a fascinating and spirited lady."

Byron nodded. "Yes she was." He developed a far off gaze then after a moment he continued. "I was ten when she passed away but I remember her as though it was only yesterday and I still miss her."

Jennifer smiled at him. "From what you've told me, she sounds like someone I would like to have met."

Byron's expression softened. "Oh, she would have liked you too. She grew up in New York but the family moved to Texas when she was sixteen. Her father got a good job offer with an oil company in Houston. She was married a year later to some guy ten years older that worked at the same company as her dad. There was a bit of a family row about it but her husband treated her well and things eventually settled down. He died on board the USS Arizona at Pearl Harbor. Their first child was my mother's father."

They spent nearly an hour on the island exploring the statue and staring out of the openings in the statue's crown. Byron expressed mild regret that they were not able to go up to the torch but it had been closed off due to of safety concerns.

Jennifer nudged him. "Hey the old girl is getting up there in age. She's not as sturdy as she once was."

Byron reached out and patted the inside metal wall and smiled. "Hey she's just as strong and generous as she has always been."

Jennifer just smiled back. One of the things she had learned about Byron over the last year of correspondence was that he had been raised in a very patriotic family and it had left a strong streak of patriotism running through him. It was what had driven his interest in politics. She liked his Texas pride and devotion to his calling. She hoped that that he would be able to retain that up-beat attitude. She would hate to see him let himself become jaded by the political system.

Finally they headed down and took to the ferry back to Manhattan.

~ o ~

In their many correspondences, Byron had often expressed an interest in seeing the site where the twin towers had once stood, so that was their next destination. After a short cab ride they arrived at the Ground Zero site. The first thing Byron noticed as the cab pulled up was the wall with its endless rows of names. He glanced over at Jennifer and noticed a small shiver pass through her in reaction to the view. He paid the driver and they exited the cab then he took her hand and they headed toward the low dark wall that bounded the nearest of the fountains. As they approached the wall surrounding the pool Jennifer seemed to be angling toward the left and Byron got the feeling that she was aiming for a specific part of the memorial pool. When they reached it she moved slowly along the low wall her eyes fixed on the rows of names. She stopped and gingerly reached out to touch one of the names. Byron looked at where she had touched and saw the name '**_Kipper Smith_**' inscribed there.

He noticed the look on her face. "Did you know that person?" He inquired gently as he put his arm around her."

She looked up at him; her eyes shimmered with extra moisture. "He was a close friend of the family and used to baby sit me when I was little." She glanced out across the memorial. "I lost three close family friends when those buildings came down."

Byron hugged her tight. "I'm sorry. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea."

Jennifer shook her head and hugged him back. "No . . . It's good to remember. Sometimes I come here to think about them and remind myself of the good times we had. And to remind myself to never let an opportunity to tell loved ones how you feel slip by 'cause tomorrow they may be gone."

Byron looked down into the pool below. He leaned against the wall and sighed deeply then, after a pause, began to speak quietly. "I was sixteen years old when it happened . . . I remember it like it was yesterday." He paused again for a moment to collect his thoughts then continued. "My mother always had the TV running in the back ground in the morning. We used to tease her about it. The first plane hit just as we were about to leave for school. Mother called to us and we all came back into the family room. All thought of school disappeared as we watched the event's unfolding." Byron looked over at Jennifer. "Mother's brother and his wife were both stringers for the Associated Press and lived in New York so we were all interested in what was happening." His gaze again shifted back to the pool. "A few minutes later, the second airplane hit. Mother was so shocked that her knees buckled and she just barely got into the sofa before she fell down. The main AP office was located in that Tower. We were all worried sick." He was silent for several seconds before he again spoke. "Then the first tower fell . . ."

Jennifer stood there with a very solemn expression as she quietly watched Byron's face. She reached out and gently touched his hand. "Byron I'm so sorry."

Byron shook his head. "Don't be." He sighed again. "Turns out that they were both out of the building on assignment but there was no phone service in the area and we didn't find out about it until the next day."

Jennifer mulled this over for several seconds before she spoke. "I was there . . . I was only ten at the time." She squeezed his hand and continued. "A subway train was buried when the tunnel collapsed. I was near there with my family. We helped dig our way to the buried cars and got the survivors out." She glanced up at him. "Even at ten I was as strong as a full grown adult." She gave him a self depreciating grin at his look and shrugged. "In the process I was caught in a cave-in and injured. It was a terrible time for me and my family."

Byron looked up from his view of the pool and turned to face her. In her eyes he saw a hint of sorrow and remembered pain reflected there. Something about her demeanor led Byron to suspect that there was a lot more to the story that she was not telling him. After a pause he responded. "Yes, it was a terrible time for everyone. It was two days before we got word that my uncle's family was all OK. I had planned to visit them while I was here but they were called out of town on some assignment this week and both of my cousins are in Georgia with my aunt Gail so that plan went out the window." He took a deep breath and straightened up then gave Jennifer a smile. "Come on, lets go." With a quick tilt of his head to the side, he led her away from the memorial. As they reached the street he inquired. "Where to now?"

Jennifer responded after a moment of thought. "To the park." She led him to the nearest subway station.

~ o ~

They exited the subway at the Columbus Circle station and entered the park. For the next couple of hours they wandered the pathways of Central Park. Their conversation roamed the gamut of current events, the history of New York, movie trivia and favorite books.

Their conversation eventually drifted to talk about their long distance relationship. They both bemoaned the inability to see each other more often. Byron suggested that Jennifer's mother should move to Austin.

Jennifer looked at him a moment then shook her head as a soft secretive smile played across her lips. "No, Mom will never leave New York . . . Her heart is here. She could never be happy anywhere else."

Byron noticed the faraway look in her eyes and shrugged as they walked for a while in silence. Then their conversation resumed on a new topic.

~ o ~

By around one o'clock they were crossing the 67th Street Transverse next to the Central Park Zoo. Jennifer glanced toward the zoo then frowned. "I was going to show you the Zoo but I'm getting pretty hungry. What about you?"

Byron nodded. "Actually, now that you mention it I **am** very hungry."

Jennifer grinned at Byron. "I know just the place for lunch . . . My treat." She started pulling him toward the western edge of the park. "I'm going to take you to lunch at The Tavern On The Green."

Byron had little choice but to follow her since she had hold of his hand, though he would have willingly followed her just about anywhere with no more encouragement than her smile. "I think I've heard of that place."

Jennifer glanced smiling at him. "It's a New York landmark." She shrugged. "I think you should see the place while you still can. The restaurant has been having legal and financial problems lately. Lost a big lawsuit last year. I heard mother saying that they may end up going bankrupt by next year."

After a quick walk they came to a beautiful building nestled in the trees on the north side of the road. Jennifer led them between a couple of horse drawn carriages to the entrance. As soon as they entered the maître de approached them. "Jennifer welcome." He glanced past her. "Where is your mother?"

Jennifer shook her head. "Mother's not here." She pulled Byron closer. "It's just me and my friend."

The man's eyebrows shot up his forehead and he cocked his head with a sly smile. "Your friend eh!" His eyes flick down toward their clasped hands and his smile widened. "I assume you wish to be seated in the Crystal Room."

Jennifer nodded. "That would be wonderful."

The man led them into a room that took Byron's breath away. Three of the room's walls were solid glass looking out into a garden and the park beyond. Overhead the ceiling was dominated by nearly a dozen twinkling chandeliers. Their guide was speaking as he led them into the room. "The most famed of the Tavern's multiple dining rooms is the Crystal Room. Everybody comes to the Tavern to celebrate and this room is the most popular." He seated them at a table near one of the glass walls and handed them their menus. "Your server will be along shortly." Then he left.

They spent a couple of minutes examining their menus and making their choices. About five minutes after they were seated an older woman with short white hair approached their table and smiled pleasantly at them. "Hello Jennifer. How are you doing and who is your friend?"

Jennifer's smile widened as she looked up at the woman. "Wendy, it's good to see you." Jennifer turned to Byron. "Wendy Baranello has worked here for longer than I would dare say. She tells the most wonderful stories." She looked back at Wendy. "Tell him about Joan Baez."

Wendy chuckled. "It was twenty years ago in the middle of a snow storm. Folk singer Joan Baez sat in this very room and I was her server. The snow coated everything outside and the place was rather sparsely populated. Ms. Baez serenaded the room with an aria. There was a lot of magic here that night. It was wonderful." She paused a moment in memory. "Some 10 years later Ms. Baez returned to The Tavern and I was her server again. I remembered her and she remembered me from that previous marvelous night," Wendy recalled with a wistful expression on her face. She seemed to return from pleasant memories. "And who is this young gentleman you have with you?"

Jennifer responded. "This is Byron Wyatt. He's here from Texas to attend a political conference." She glanced at Byron. "We met last summer when he was here with a Texas Senator on some kind of legal deal between Texas, New York and Florida."

Byron nodded to the woman. "It's a real pleasure to meet you Ms Baranello."

The woman smiled at Byron. "Wendy, call me Wendy."

"Yes, ma'am, ah, Wendy." Byron replied.

Wendy nodded her head with a grin. "So what can I get for the two of you today?"

They gave her their orders and she headed off.

"They seem to know you here." Byron commented dryly.

Jennifer nodded. "My mom has been coming here for years since before I was born. She has brought me and my sisters here hundreds of times. We've even celebrated a couple of my birthdays here. We live just a little ways up the street from here." She replied to his comment.

Their conversation drifted off to various birthday parties that they had both had or attended. Several humorous anecdotes of birthday surprises and disasters were exchanged. Wendy even told of a birthday cake disaster that happened to Catherine when she had her twenty-first birthday party at the Tavern. By the end of that story Byron and Jennifer were laughing so hard that they both had tears running down their cheeks. Wendy had been very new back then and had been mortally embarrassed over her part in the disaster but Catherine and her father had been so sweet and generous over the whole thing. It had cemented a lasting friendship. Byron and Jennifer were both still laughing when their food arrived.

They had a very pleasant lunch. Wendy dropped by their table several times and shared amusing stories of the Tavern and the many famous people she had met over her years there. Byron experienced a moment of disappointment when he looked at their demolished desert and realized that it was time to go. He had really enjoyed the meal and Wendy's stories. Wendy wished them both a good day and handed Jennifer the check.

Byron started to offer to pay but Jennifer had already handed Wendy a handful of cash with the admonition to keep the change before the words were out of Byron's mouth. Byron had learned from his parents that though it was proper to offer to pay for meals it was poor form to fight over a check so he kept his peace but he made a point of thanking her for the meal and telling her how much he had enjoyed it as they were leaving the table.

As they were exiting the restaurant, Jennifer came to a halt when the middle aged female driver of one of the horse drawn carriages called out. "Jennifer, is that you?"

Jennifer grinned and called out. "Charlie! I didn't know you were here."

Charlie grinned back at them. "I just dropped off some passengers here." Her gaze centered on Byron a moment and a more speculative look crossed her face then she continued. "How about a carriage ride through the park for you and your friend there." She inquired with one raised eyebrow.

Jennifer glanced at Byron and he shrugged back at her then she responded. "I think that sounds like fun." They climbed into the carriage and Jennifer introduced Byron and Charlie to each other. As the carriage pulled away from the restaurant Jennifer asked Charlie about how her husband and her two children were doing. Charlie quickly filled them in on the latest doings of her family then asked Jennifer about her family. Something about the wording of Charlie's inquiry gave Byron the impression that she was being very careful how she phrased her question. Charlie glanced at Byron then asked Jennifer. "Does he . . . ahhh . . ." then she shrugged, one eyebrow raised.

Jennifer glanced at Byron a moment then responded. "He knows about my, ah, rather unique abilities."

Conversation lagged as Charlie pulled out onto the road then Byron's curiosity got the better of him. "I was wondering how you two know each other."

Charlie and Jennifer glanced meaningfully at each other and Byron caught a barely perceptible shake of Jennifer's head and Charlie's raised eyebrow. Then Jennifer responded. "Charlie knows my mother from way back. I first met her two days after the 9/11 attack."

Charlie nodded and added to her comment. "I was riding the subway at the time. The tunnel collapsed burying the car I was in." She paused to gather her thoughts. "I was trapped there, buried alive, along with several others, for two days. Jennifer was with the group of people that rescued us. She was the one that found me. I had ended up stuck between the front of the car and a crushed seat. They would have never known I was there if she hadn't heard my feeble attempt to attract their attention." Charlie had been watching Jennifer as she spoke as though making sure that she didn't say too much. Byron wondered if there was more about this story and Jennifer's part than what he was being told. He was already aware of what a remarkable person she was. What was Charlie being so careful about?

Jennifer jumped back in. "It would have taken weeks for the rescue workers to reach the train from above. We dug our way to them from an adjacent abandoned tunnel."

After a pause Charlie inquired. "So, a native New Yorker and a down home Texas boy. How in the world did you two meet?"

Byron responded. "I was walking through downtown Manhattan, gawking at the skyscrapers, when I took a wrong turn and a street gang cornered me in an alley. I fought back but I was hopelessly outnumbered. Just as I went down for the count, Jennifer appeared out of nowhere and single-handedly cleaned their clock. The first thing that went through my mind after seeing her in action was to compare her to Wonder Woman." Byron grinned a bit sheepishly.

Jennifer jumped in. "I wouldn't fit in that outfit."

Byron responded as he looked at her. "I see nothing to complain about." Then he ducked his head and blushed.

Charlie laughed. "Jennifer, I think he might just be worth hanging on to." That made Byron blush even more.

"Charlie, I think you might just be right about that." Jennifer remarked as her eyes swept Byron from head to toe and back.

Jennifer's appraising look and remark caused Byron to blush so bright that he was sure that he was lit up like a beacon. Charlie merely chuckled and grinned at the look on his face. Then Byron's smile also widened in response to the grins on both girls faces. For the next two hours they rode around Central Park, taking in the view and making general small talk.

Charlie finally let them off at the Central Park Zoo where they spent the rest of their afternoon looking at the animals. They snacked on items from the street venders while Byron told her all about the 'Great State of Texas'. Jennifer was fascinated and amused by the way his eyes lit up when he bragged about all the features of his home state and encouraged him shamelessly.

When they approached a fork in the path, Byron noticed that the sign to the right was labeled 'Large Cats'. He felt his heart give a hard thump and he headed off to the left without breaking stride. The next moment he found himself looking at Jennifer and thoughts of her filled his mind.

Jennifer glanced over at him and her eyebrows rose. "What?" She inquired.

Byron smiled at her as he shrugged. "I was just thinking how much I have enjoyed spending the day with you."

She smiled back and a hint of red suffused her cheeks. "Oh."

Soon they realized that the evening was fast approaching and they both headed out to get ready for their evening. Jennifer hailed a taxi for them and dropped Byron off at his hotel. She told him that she would be back to pick him up for dinner in an hour. Then the taxi drove off.

~ o ~

**A Magical Evening**

An hour later Byron was showered and dressed in his best western cut suit and cowboy hat. He was soon down in the lobby waiting for Jennifer. The Senator and his wife arrived in the lobby moments after Byron. Jennifer arrived at about the same time as the limo that was picking up the Senator and his wife.

Jennifer gave him the quick once over and nodded appreciatively. She really liked the way he looked in his western attire. "For a cowboy, you clean-up nice there, Texas." She commented with a big grin, her eyes dancing.

There's our ride." The Senator announced, pointing at the chauffer that was waiting for them.

"You two have a good evening." His wife added as they followed the chauffer toward the outside door.

Byron watched the Senator and his wife exit the lobby and get into the limo then turned to Jennifer. "So, where are we going for dinner?" He inquired.

There is a place that makes the best New York style pizzas not too far from here. I thought you might take me there for dinner." She grinned, her eyes glinting with good humor. "I took you out to lunch, now it's your turn."

Byron doffed his hat and gave Jennifer a quick bow. "Lead the way Ma'am."

They both exited the hotel and stepped into a taxi that was waiting for them, the fairly young looking driver held the car door open for them. While they climbed into the taxi Jennifer gave the driver the name of the restaurant. The young driver jumped in and they pulled out into the traffic. Byron frowned when he noticed that the driver had not activated the meter. Ten minutes later they pulled up in front of a very old looking building. "Here you are." The driver announced. As they exited the taxi, the driver leaned out of his window. "When do you want me to pick you up?" He inquired.

"Why don't you come back for us in about an hour?" Jennifer responded.

"Will do." The driver called out as he pulled away.

Byron looked over at Jennifer. "He didn't charge us?" He asked her.

Jennifer shrugged. "Oh, Larry is a family friend. His sister is going . . ." She stopped speaking and looked flustered. "Ahhh . . . Larry is working to make a little extra money while going to college." She remarked trying to fill in the gap caused by her hastily cut-off statement.

Byron noticed the apparent gaff but decided not to remark on it. The next instant he was distracted by the wonderful smells emanating from that old building. He took Jennifer's arm and escorted her inside.

The place was fairly large and appeared to be filled to capacity. Byron noticed a couple a dozen people were waiting in the entrance area. He turned to Jennifer. "I don't think we're going to have enough time . . ."

At that moment the man at the podium called out as he waved to them. "Jennifer, welcome. We have your table ready, if you will come this way."

Byron looked at Jennifer in surprise. "Do you know **everyone** in this town?"

Jennifer laughed as they followed the maître 'de into the restaurant. "No." She cocked her head at the man in the lead. "But I **do** have a lot of friends." They started up a grand set of stairs. "And my mother has a lot of useful contacts around New York."

The man leading them glanced over his shoulder at them. "Cathy Chandler helped me out of a really bad jam six years ago." Then he stopped and indicated a table that was located next to a window. He handed them their menus as they sat down. "Enjoy your meal." He remarked then turned and walked away.

Byron's gaze was drawn to the window. The spectacular view was dominated by a bridge that passed almost directly over them. Out on the water there were dozens of boats of all types moving up and down the wide river. He had noticed the bridge when they had first arrived but somehow the way the scene was framed by the window just made the view so much more impressive. They barely noticed the waiter filling their water glasses.

"Spectacular view, isn't it?" Jennifer remarked as she too gazed out the window.

Byron nodded. "Yes it is."

For a long while they both stared out the window, watching the boats moving under the bridge.

Byron finally sighed. "It's a beautiful view alright." Then he turned his head and looked at Jennifer and another phrase passed through his mind. '_But nowhere near as beautiful as you._' He almost spoke what he was thinking but decided that it sounded too clichéd so he refrained. After a moment he cleared his throat and picked up the menu. "Ah . . . what do you recommend here?"

Jennifer's eyes sparkled as her smile widened. "Do you trust me?"

Byron grinned back at her. "I think I might be willing to take a chance."

She chuckled then raised her hand. Almost immediately the waiter was beside them. She looked up at him. "Hello Louie, I think we will have one extra large House Supreme with extra mushrooms and cheese."

Louie nodded. "And what do you want to drink?"

"I'll just have the water." Jennifer responded. "What about you?" She asked Byron.

"Water sounds fine with me." Byron replied.

Louie grinned. "Very good, I'll have that out for you right away."

Less than five minutes later Louie returned with the pizza and two plates. Byron looked at Louie in surprise. "That was awfully fast." He remarked.

Louie chuckled. "We know what Jen likes. The cook started on it as soon as we knew that she was here."

Byron glanced at Jennifer with raised eyebrow and she shrugged back.

The pizza was piping hot fresh from the oven and it was the best that Byron had ever tasted. The two of them took their time enjoying the food and the view while talking about their day together. Later when Louie brought the check Byron saw that it was a bit higher but not as expensive as he was half expecting. He paid the bill with a generous tip. He had always been taught to tip generously if the service was good.

When they finally left the restaurant they found Larry standing beside his taxi waiting for them. After a short trip over to Broadway he let them out in front of the theatre.

The play they were here to see was Noel Coward's 'Blithe Spirit', staring Rupert Everett, Angela Lansbury Christine Ebersole and Jayne Atkinson. Byron was thrilled. He had been a fan of Angela Lansbury since discovering her Murder She Wrote TV series. As they were entering the theatre Jennifer was telling Byron that her mother had been a fan of Ms Lansbury ever since her grandfather had taken her mother as a young girl to see Angela on Broadway in the play 'Mame'. Needless to say Jennifer was familiar with the TV series.

Byron presented the usher with his tickets and they were escorted to a well appointed box with eight seats. Three minutes later The Senator and his wife arrived. She was very impressed by the nice seats that they were escorted to. Just as they were about to sit, Catherine Chandler arrived escorted by Elliot Burch and his beautiful, fashion model wife, Victoria.

Catherine introduced everyone then they all took their seats. Fifteen minutes after that the play began,

Byron had been to his share of live plays back in Austin and Dallas but he had never seen a production as impressive as this one. When Angela first appeared on the stage Byron glanced over at Catherine and saw a wistful expression settle across her face for a few moments; then it was gone. In no time at all Byron was almost as engrossed in the play as he was in Jennifer. Jennifer had her hand clasped in his and she was very definitely leaning into him.

Then it was intermission and they went out to check out the concessions. The Senator's wife was awe struck by their companions and was obviously having a wonderful time. While Catherine, Victoria, and The Senator's wife talked about their unique life styles, Elliot and The Senator talked about a new building of Elliot's that was currently under construction in Dallas. Byron and Jennifer were off in a corner together, sharing a soda, talking about the play, and just enjoying each other's company. Soon the second half of the play was announced and they all returned to their seats.

During the most emotional part of the play Byron felt Jennifer's head resting on his shoulder which sent a pleasant shiver up his spine. He wondered if they were becoming more than just good friends. He was acutely aware that she was six years younger than him and her mother might not approve of anything closer than simple friendship. Byron glanced around to see if anyone had noticed. The Senator and his wife were in a similar pose. Elliot had his arm around Victoria their heads resting against each other. Catherine was staring at the stage and seemed miles away. He saw her glance up at the fancy grillwork that ran along the walls of the theatre just below the ceiling a couple of times and a soft sweet smile would steal across her face.

Finally the play was over and they were all discussing what they had seen as they made their way out of the theatre. In the lobby Elliot and Victoria were quickly surrounded by the curious and the media and fell behind. The Senator and his wife found their limo waiting for them out front. Jennifer, Byron and Catherine ended up sharing a cab.

The cab stopped first at the Central Park West brownstone where Catherine hurried inside giving Jennifer and Byron a few moments of privacy.

They stood there at the door for several seconds just gazing at each other. Byron was the first to speak. "I had a really good time today. Thank you for showing me around."

Jennifer smiled back in response. "I enjoyed doing it. And I enjoyed being with you."

Simultaneously they both leaned in and they met in a soft kiss. The kiss was more friendly than romantic but it carried the promise of more someday. They separated, smiled at each other then Jennifer reached out to grab the door handle. "Good night, Byron." She spoke softly.

"Good night, Jennifer." He responded just as softly.

They gazed at each other for another second then she opened the door and they turned away. Jennifer paused in the open door and Byron paused at the cab. They looked at each other a moment then exchanged nods and smiles. Byron stepped into the cab and Jennifer closed the brownstone's door.

~ BnB ~

**The Conference**

The next two long days passed in a swirl of endless political meetings and debates. When Byron wasn't thinking about Jennifer, he was observing and admiring the Senator as he worked his political and diplomatic magic in those meetings. He wondered how the man put up with some of the more acrimonious opponents in the conference as well as those that Byron thought sounded downright ignorant.

During one break he asked the Senator how he did it. The Senator grinned like a mischievous kid as he responded. "First and foremost you must have a firm belief in the rightness of your cause. Then you need a highly inflated ego to buffer yourself against the slings and arrows of your opponents and the idiocy that comes from the less intelligent. It also helps to have a strong stomach when it comes to schmoozing those that don't agree with what you know is right. Finally you need to have enough character to be willing to compromise a bit if it will help your cause and be willing to back up those compromises to your allies and supporters." He paused a moment gazing at his young assistant then continued. "Most important if you want to be a great legislator you must always remain true to your core beliefs and to those that you are supposed to represent."

Byron listened to and absorbed his mentor's words of wisdom. He just hoped that he could one day live up to those words. The resumption of the conference was announced and they filed back into the room with the rest of the attendees.

While Byron and the Senator had spent the two days in meetings, his wife had been with Catherine and a couple of the other wives seeing the city and doing a bit of shopping at some of the better high-end stores they had all heard about.

Near the end of the last day of the conference a banquet was held at the hotel where everyone was staying. Catherine and Jennifer both attended. Jennifer was stunning in a beautiful blue and gold evening dress and Byron could not take his eyes off her. Catherine was escorted by someone from the New York delegation. The food was superb, the wine was abundant, and there was a live band and a large dance floor. For Byron and Jennifer the evening flew by as they ate and drank and gossiped and danced to the music of the live band. The banquet finally broke up around midnight. Catherine and Jennifer escorted The Senator, his wife and Byron up to their suite then, after a short goodbye, left.

Early the next morning Byron and his companions dragged themselves out of bed and were soon on a plane heading back to Texas. All Byron clearly remembered from the previous evening was Jennifer and how it felt to hold her while out on the dance floor.

~ BnB ~

**Back Home**

About a week after Byron returned to Austin, he was thinking about what he and Jennifer had said to each other when they had been visiting the 9/11 memorial. Out of curiosity he started perusing the reports of that disaster trying to find any records of what really happened to Jennifer.

The first mention he found was an article about how several prominent people, including Catherine Chandler, had pitched in to help during the disaster. Next he found two reports from survivors that had been trapped in a buried subway car during the attack. According to those reports they had been rescued by a group of homeless men that had included, of all things, a remarkable young girl with the most amazingly intense blue eyes. Both of the survivor's statements were very specific on the description of the young girl. One of them stated that he had overheard one of the other rescuers call the young girl 'Jennifer'. Based on what he already knew about Jennifer, Byron didn't doubt the stories at all. There was also a rather confusing reference to 'The Creature of Central Park' by a third survivor that he dismissed. Byron remembered hearing a couple of remarks about that particular urban legend when he had been in New York last year but there had been very little real information.

He also found a report that Jennifer Chandler had been injured in some type of cave-in accident a few days after the attack. According to the report she had been listed in serious condition. The article confirmed his suspicion that what she had told him had been but a small part of the real story. There was a lot about her life that she still kept hidden away. Some day he would have to ask her for the full story about what happened that terrible day. Hopefully he would also learn the answers to **all** the mystery that surrounded her.

**_Continued in Part 2_**

* * *

'**Beauty and the Beast'** and its characters are owned by Witt-Thomas Productions and Republic Pictures. No infringement on copyrights is intended. This story is presented merely for the enjoyment of fans. Original concepts and story elements may be used by other authors as long as appropriate credit is given.


	2. Summer 2010

**The Girl and The Long Distance Romance  
**The Five Of Hearts Series  
_by Thomas Mc_

* * *

**Chapter 2 : Summer 2010**

**Return To The Big Apple**

Byron glanced up at the front of the hotel that Jennifer had recommended. This was nowhere near as upscale as the places he had stayed the last two times he had been to New York but it was still a very nice place and it was only three blocks from Central Park. The last two times he had been in New York it had been as an intern with his mentor '**The Senator**' (Byron always tended to think of him in bold letters) and the bills had been paid by someone else. This time he was here on vacation and paying his own way. However, now he was a full fledge member of The Senator's staff with a salary to match so he could afford a decent hotel. This visit he would be staying for a whole week and he expected to spend a lot of his time with Jennifer Chandler while he was here.

When he reached the front Desk it turned out that he was two hours too early. Check-in time at this hotel began at one-thirty. He had been planning to arrive at about two in the afternoon but he had caught a last minute standby seat on an earlier flight and now it was eleven-thirty in the morning. Byron found a seat in the lobby and called Jennifer to see what she was doing. She told him that she would get there as soon as she could but it might take her a couple of hours. She told him that she would call him as soon as she arrived.

Since he had nothing better to do he found a comfortable seat in the lobby and settled in. His mind turned to thoughts about Jennifer. Over the two years since he had first encountered her they had exchanged countless e-mails, several long letters and more than a few phone calls. In that time they had become very good friends and now he was vacationing in New York so that he could spend some time with her in person. He had come to know her very well but there was still a lot that, he suspected, she kept hidden. There was still an air of mystery about her that he found very intriguing.

He thought over the plans that they had made for his trip. There were several land marks that he planned to visit and she had offered to be his guide, which suited him just fine. She had told him that the musical 'Cats' would be playing on Broadway that week. He told her that he had no interest in seeing that particular play. (He had tried to watch it once a few years ago when it came to Austin for a few weeks but he had been so bothered by it that he had to leave before the show was over.) Then she mentioned that a local IMAX theatre was running a three day 'Lord of the Rings' movie marathon during that weekend and she had access to a pair of passes. During their correspondences over the last year they both had remarked on how much they loved the books and the movies. She added that they would be running the extended versions of the movies. He eagerly agreed to the idea.

Right at one-thirty the man behind the desk started checking in guests. Once Byron was checked in and settled in his room, he stepped out onto the room's balcony. He gazed for a moment at the excellent view of the Manhattan skyline the balcony afforded him. After a minute he went back into his room and took a few minutes to freshen up and change clothes. Jennifer called while he was changing to tell him that she was near the hotel and would be there in about five minutes. He told her that he would meet her in the lobby.

Byron arrived in the lobby three minutes later but he didn't see Jennifer anywhere. He turned and faced the main entry expecting her to appear at any minute. He gazed out the glass front into the beautiful early June day and continued to think about all the things he was planning to do during his vacation in New York. At that moment Jennifer came up behind him and surprised him.

Byron whirled around and gave her a quick hug. "Jennifer it's so good to see you."

Jennifer grinned back. "Same here." She cocked her head to one side. "Hey I'm starving. How about you?"

"I was just thinking the same thing." He responded. "Where should we go?"

"There is a little pizza place just a couple of blocks over." She replied. It's just a little Mom and Pop place but I know the owners and the food there is pretty good."

Byron shrugged. "Sounds good to me."

They left the hotel and Jennifer led him down the street away from the park. After two blocks she led him into a little corner store and he was immediately hit by the wonderful smells of fresh hot pizza. A quick glance around established that the place was packed and there was a short waiting line.

They had been standing in line for less than a minute when an older woman called out to Jennifer and waved them over to her table. The woman looked very familiar to Byron but he couldn't quite place her at first.

"Jennifer, come on over here and keep an old woman company." The woman remarked as they approached her table. Then the woman turned to the waiter that was bringing her a glass of water. "We'll need two more settings. I have just become a party of three."

"Hello, Wendy. It's been a few months since the last time I saw you." Jennifer remarked as they sat down.

The name jogged Byron's memory. "You were our waitress at the Tavern on the Green." He smiled at her. "I'm hoping we can eat there sometime this week."

Wendy frowned a moment then spoke. "Oh, didn't you hear? They closed the place down."

Byron's face fell. "I'm so sorry. I loved your stories about the place, especially the one about Joan Baez, and I was looking forward to going there again."

"That's OK I had a wonderful career working there and it was about time for me to retire." Wendy shrugged then smiled. "Speaking of Ms. Baez, she did come in a third time in December, just weeks before Tavern was to close. I actually had to leave before she did that day. I had personal business to take care of or I would have stayed later. She left me a nice note that said, 'You slipped out but I'll see you again." She gazed off in the distance for a moment then continued. "I hope that's true. I really would like to see her again. She is such a pleasant person."

The waiter arrived with two additional place settings. Jennifer and Wendy already knew what they wanted. Byron deferred to Jennifer's judgment. Since both women wanted the same thing they ordered an extra large family size so they could all share.

They spent a very pleasant lunch, sharing pizza and talking about what each of them had been doing over the last year. Wendy was very impressed over Byron's new job and his plans for the future. She wished him luck in his career and hoped that he could keep his ideals and enthusiasm as he made his way through the world of politics. Byron insisted on paying for the meal. He claimed it was the least he could do for such pleasant company and all her wonderful stories.

After quick hugs and goodbyes, Wendy caught a cab and Byron and Jennifer strolled back toward Central Park. They spent most of the afternoon strolling through the park, taking in the scenery, watching the various sidewalk performers, and talking about their plans for the next five days and anything else that crossed their minds.

Jennifer couldn't resist taking a spin on the carousel when they got close to it. She remarked that it had a special significance for her family.

"And what might that be?" Byron inquired.

Jennifer lowered her head a bit looking at him through her lashes with a secretive half smile. "Maybe someday I'll tell you about it." She remarked mysteriously.

Since it was getting close to dinnertime when they got off, they decided to indulge in hot dogs from a street vender near the carousel.

Jennifer could tell that Byron was getting tired (It had been a long day for him) so they headed back to his hotel. After saying goodnight in the lobby, Byron went straight to his room. He settled into bed, watched a little TV then went right to sleep.

~ BnB ~

**Second Day**

Byron awoke feeling excited about the day before him. It was Friday, the first day of the movie marathon. The first movie in the 'Lord of the Rings' trilogy would be showing twice today. The first showing was at twelve-thirty and the second showing was at seven. They had already decided to meet for an early lunch and go to the first showing (the passes having been exchanged over three weeks ago) so that they could attend Shakespeare in the Park at the Delacorte Theatre tonight. The play was "A Midsummer Night's Dream" and Jennifer's two fourteen year old twin sisters, Nancy and Brigit were in the play as fairies.

Byron ordered a light breakfast while he checked the news and weather channel on the TV. After breakfast he showered and got ready for the day. He caught a cab to go to a rather unique gift shop in downtown that a friend had told him about to buy a present for his mother.

Byron showed up at the small Mexican restaurant that Jennifer had selected right at five to eleven. Jennifer was there waiting for him. She had recommended this place because he had told her about his fondness for Mexican food. He knew that the food here would probably be quite different from what he was used to but he was willing to give it a chance. Five minutes later the place opened and they went inside.

The interior of the place had an amazingly authentic border town look to it. When he opened the menu he was surprised to see a fairly standard list of items. The food turned out to be very good.

Jennifer cocked her head noticing the relish with which he was enjoying his food. "So, Texas, what do you think about this place?" She inquired with a smug grin.

Byron grinned back. "This place is great. I think that this is about the closest you could get to true Tex-Mex outside of the Lone Star State."

Jennifer chuckled. "The family that owns the place, comes from Texas. Some place they call the 'Pan Handle'."

Byron laughed. "That is the northern most part of the state. It is a fairly large area."

As Byron was paying the bill, Jennifer called for a taxi. The cab was waiting for them as they exited the restaurant and they rode it over to the movie theater out on Long Island.

Byron was very excited because this would be his first time to see the extended versions of the films. Minutes after they had found their seats, (it was assigned seating and they had very good seats) the movie started and Byron was soon swept away into the world of hobbits, dwarves, elves and wizards. Shortly after the film began Byron became aware that Jennifer was holding his hand. It was nice.

It was almost a shock when the film ended and the credits began to roll. Byron shook off the dreamlike daze as the real world intruded into the mood left over from the movie. He glanced over at Jennifer. She too seemed to be slowly returning to reality. They smiled a bit dreamily at each other then finally rose from their seats.

They exited the theater while the credits were still rolling and went into a small bistro that was located next door to the theater. Within minutes after they got their food and settled at their tables, the place had become packed. They barely noticed what they were eating as they animatedly discussed the movie they had just seen. After finishing their meal they caught a cab back over to the Delacorte Theatre in Central Park.

People were just beginning to arrive when they got to the Delacorte and they were able to snag some pretty good seats. Byron was not that well acquainted with the works of Shakespeare and had never seen 'A Midsummer's Night Dream', though he had heard of it and had a vague idea what it was supposed to be about.

While waiting for the play to begin Byron hit the concession stand and bought drinks and snacks for both of them. About ten minutes after he got back to their seats an announcer came out and introduced the play telling a few anecdotes about the play's history and its place within the works of Shakespeare. There was another ten minute wait then the play began.

At first Byron had some difficulty following the old English language of the play but the actors were very good and he was soon into it and enjoying himself. Jennifer pointed out her two sisters among the fairies. He thought he could see a definite family resemblance. Both sisters actually had speaking parts in the play. Brigit had the part of the fairy that recognized Puck. Nancy was the fairy called Mustard Seed. He noticed how proud Jennifer looked when Brigit and Nancy spoke their lines. Byron ended up loving the play and he enjoyed sharing that enjoyment with Jennifer.

After the play was over Jennifer dragged Byron up to the stage to meet her two sisters. Nancy was very gracious and seemed to enjoy talking to Byron. Brigit was much more reserved. She spoke very little and Byron was sure she disapproved of him. She did however seem to warm up to him a bit after he related a humorous version of how he and Jennifer first met but she still seemed a bit standoffish.

After they left the theatre they walked over toward the Belvedere Castle.

They were about halfway to the castle when Byron commented. "I don't think Brigit likes me."

Jennifer nodded the cocked her head. "Brigit is just a bit down on the whole male gender right now. Last spring she had her first crush on a boy in her class. She tried showing off for him." Jennifer paused and shrugged. "Like me, Nancy and Brigit have inherited better than average speed and strength. The boy she was trying to impress didn't take it very well when she proved to be stronger than him." She chuckled. "The rather humorous way you described how I rescued you clearly showed that you knew about my abilities and it didn't bother you. It did improve both of their opinions of you. Brigit will come around in time."

They spent a while at the top of the castle. They kissed a bit and talked a bit about the play and the view, but most of the time they just stood there silently enjoying the view and each other's presence. What Byron enjoyed most about it, besides the kisses, was the fact that his arm was around her shoulders and her arm was around his waist.

It was getting late when they decided to head home for the night. Jennifer told him that her place faced the park and was close by so they decided to walk. Byron was fine with this because it would give him a few more minutes with her. Their conversation soon turned back to the play they had seen. They were deep in a discussion about Oberon's demand that Tatiana give him the changeling boy when they became aware of three rather rough looking men that were closing in on them.

The three men cut off their path and began making threatening advances. There were several very crude sexual remarks from the three men directed at Jennifer. It was quickly clear that their intensions toward Jennifer were not in her best interest.

"Damn I should have worn my cloak." Jennifer remarked very softly to herself, but Byron heard it.

The comment reminded him of the time that she had worn the hooded cloak in the park and the way the more unsavory elements had tended to avoid them. "It looks like we're surrounded." Byron commented as he tried to gauge the best plan of attack. Byron and Jennifer looked at each other and he noticed an almost feral look in Jennifer's eyes. He was surprised to notice that her eye teeth were just a tiny bit longer than normal. The difference was so slight that he probably wouldn't have noticed it if not for that that look on her face. He cocked his head and one eyebrow shot up. "Do you want to deal with this?" He inquired. The grin she gave him sent a shiver up his spine. Byron shook off his reaction to the look in her eyes and leaned against the nearest tree. He casually crosses his arms. "This should be interesting." He commented with a careless smile at the three thugs as Jennifer stepped forward, body tense for battle.

Byron couldn't be sure whether it was his own calm disinterest or the look in Jennifer's eyes but the three potential rapists now appeared to be slightly rattled. They became a bit more cautious and two of them pulled out knives. Byron figured that the three toughs still had no real idea just how much trouble they had stepped into. Over the last two years of getting to know her, Byron had come to the conclusion that Jennifer had the soul of a warrior. Though she wasn't the type to start a fight, she loved the exhilaration of battle and she never backed down from a fight once it started.

Out of the corner of his eye Byron spotted a fourth thug moving stealthily up behind them a knife in his hand. At the last second Byron swung around, taking two quick steps, and coming in with a roundhouse swing. His fist connected with the side of the fourth man's head and the thug dropped like a rock, out cold. He looked down at the man a moment. "It's not nice to sneak up on a lady." He informed the unconscious thug.

Byron returned to the tree feeling pleased with himself both for taking the blindside threat out and for the little bon mot he had thrown out after. Just as he leaned back against the tree the other three thugs charged Jennifer.

In less than thirty seconds of furious battle Jennifer was left standing with three groaning hoods at her feet.

Grinning, Byron applauded. "Very impressive."

Jennifer grinned back then curtsied. "Thank-you kind sir." She then pulled out her cell phone, called someone named Detective Henderson and tersely reported what had happened then hung up. "Let's go. There's no need to hang around here." She told him and they continued on their way.

Bryan glanced over at Jennifer a moment before speaking. "When you fight, you go into all-out attack mode, don't you."

Jennifer glanced back at him and their eyes met then she looked back straight ahead and shrugged. "It's just the way I am." They walked on for a couple of seconds in silence then she continued. "I guess there's just a little bit of the wild beast in me."

"I think it definitely works for you." Byron chuckled as he glanced over at her. He took her hand, lacing his fingers with hers and remarked with a smile and a twinkle. "I think that's one of the things I like about you, that hint of a wild side." They walked on for a moment in silence. He couldn't quite get that look he had seen on her face before she went into battle out of his mind. Finally he released her hand and put his arm around her shoulder. Two steps later her arm went around his waist. After a few minutes he shoved the pre-battle image aside and concentrated on enjoying a romantic stroll with this very pretty and intriguing girl. When they reached her home, the taxi that she had called for Byron ten minutes ago was there waiting. They stopped in front of her door and they both leaned in for a kiss that warmed Byron all the way down to his toes. They separated, smiled at each other then Jennifer reached out to grab the door handle. "Good night, Byron. I had a nice day." She spoke with a soft slightly dreamy smile.

"Good night, Jennifer." He responded with a similar smile.

All the way back to his hotel images of Jennifer battling those three hoodlums whirled through his mind. That night he lay awake a long time thinking about the day. His mind went back to when he had met Jennifer's sisters. The public story had always been that Catherine Chandler's three natural daughters had been the result of anonymous donations from an unidentified sperm bank. But all three girls looked enough alike that there could be no doubt that they were sisters. He had also learned today that the other two had the same enhanced speed and strength that Jennifer had. This suggested to him that they must all three have the same father or there was something else more mysterious going on with them. He recalled the image of the fiercely predatory look he had seen on Jennifer's face just before the fight in the park. He went to sleep wondering what all the secrecy around the three sister's parentage was really about.

~ BnB ~

**Third Day**

The first half of the third day was spent seeing some of the more iconic buildings of the New York City skyline. From the top of the Empire State Building, now the tallest building in the city, Jennifer pointed out the other buildings they were going to see. They had lunch at the observation deck snack bar. Jennifer told him a little about the history of the building.

She pointed to the Chrysler Building and told him about the competition for the title of tallest building between the two of them. "The Chrysler Building would have been the tallest but they added a couple of floors to this building's design during construction." She became a bit introspective. "Mother sometimes tells us about the Halloween that she attended a costume party up here. It was very romantic." She sighed looking out over the city.

They ended the tour with the Chrysler Building where she pointed out the large eagles mounted on the corners.

Although he found the tour fascinating, it was Jennifer's company that really made it so much fun.

After leaving the Chrysler Building they caught a taxi out to Long Island. They had an early dinner at the same bistro that they had eaten in yesterday. Then they went to the theater next door for the second Lord of the Rings Movie. They were both quickly engrossed in the movie though they held hands the entire time.

After the movie was over they were both tired so they took a taxi straight back. They stopped first at Byron's hotel. Jennifer walked up to his room with him. Byron considered inviting her into his room but immediately thought better of it. He didn't want to get too forward too soon and ruin his chances with her. They kissed good night and she headed back to the taxi while he went into his room and got ready for bed.

As Byron lay in bed it seemed to him that the day had flown by almost in a blur. The clearest images in his mind were the emotions that crossed her face whenever they looked at each other. He was pretty sure that she was as interested in him as he was interested in her.

~ BnB ~

**Fourth Day**

Byron woke up and lay there thinking about the plans for today. His mind wandered back to a telephone conversation of six weeks ago. Jennifer had been all excited and wanted to share her news with him.

. . . _Six Weeks Ago_ . . .

"I had lunch with Uncle Joe today . . ." Jennifer began.

"Uncle Joe?" Byron inquired. As far as he knew Catherine was supposed to be an only child.

"Well, ah, he's not really related. He's Mother's boss, Joe Maxwell, but I've known him all my life as Uncle Joe."

"Oooh, I see." He had responded, remembering the first time he had met Joe Maxwell and wondering where this was going.

"Anyway," She continued. "At lunch Uncle Joe told me that he had two spare tickets to an upcoming afternoon basketball Game between the New York Knicks and the Chicago Bulls at Madison Square Garden and asked me if I wanted to go with him and Sammy."

"I see." Byron responded, wondering how this would affect his planned visit to New York next month.

Before he could ask, she forged on. "I know that is right about the same that you were planning to come here and since he said **two** spare tickets I thought maybe you could go too."

"I don't want interfere with your time with your friend." Byron offered.

"Oh no, I already mentioned that you were coming and Uncle Joe said to bring you along." She responded.

. . . _The Present_ . . .

Byron's thoughts returned to the present. Today was the day of the game.

Shortly after Byron got up he went down to the hotel gift shop where he bought a handful of postcards. Back in his room he wrote out several short messages to some of his friends and family. He sent four to his mother telling her about the various things he had seen while in New York and about how much he was enjoying being shown around by Jennifer.

He took the cards down and dropped them in the mail slot in the lobby then he headed across the street to a small eatery where he met Jennifer for brunch. After they were done they headed off for another day together.

As the taxi approached the stadium they noticed flashing red and blue lights near the front entrance to the arena. As they got closer they saw two police cars and a New York Fire Department Ambulance pulled in close to the entrance. They got out of the taxi and Byron spotted an EMT coming out of the main entrance. He appeared to be in his late twenties or early thirties. The man looked straight at them, paused a moment then continued on to the ambulance. Two seconds later the flashing lights on the Ambulance went out. The next second the man came back around the ambulance.

The EMT then started over toward them waving. "Jennifer, how are you doing?" He called out.

Jennifer grinned happily and called back at the young man. "Geoffrey, it's been forever." The two met with a hug then Jennifer stepped back and placed her hand on Byron's arm. "Geoffrey, this is Byron, my friend from Texas." She looked at Byron. "Byron this is Geoffrey. He used to babysit me and Ja . . . uh, and my sisters when we were little." She glanced at the man. "Geoffrey and Kipper were best friends from the time they were kids."

Byron remembered the name Kipper Smith that Jennifer had pointed out on the 911 memorial last year and he caught a quick flash of old pain cross Geoffrey's face. Byron smiled at Geoffrey. "It's nice to meet you." Byron remarked as the two men reached out and shook hands.

Byron had noticed what looked like burn scars on both of Geoffrey's hands just before he took hold of the one offered. He was wondering about it then they were all momentarily distracted as two more EMT's came out with an empty gurney between them.

"What happened here?" Jennifer inquired.

Geoffrey made a short snort of a laugh as he shook his head then replied. "False alarm." At Byron and Jennifer's inquiring look he continued. "Somebody reported a body at the bottom of a stairwell. It turned out to be a dummy. It was probably left there from last week's rock concert."

One of the other EMT's called out to Geoffrey. He waved negligently at the guy then turned back to Byron and Jennifer remarking apologetically. "I gota go. You two enjoy the game." Then he turned and trotted back to the ambulance.

As the ambulance started to pull away Byron heard a new voice call out Jennifer's name. He looked back at the entrance to see two police officers and a tall middle-aged man emerging from the building. He immediately recognized Joe Maxwell from two years ago when he had first met Jennifer. Joe was waving at them then he spoke a few words to the two officers. The two officers headed over to one of the police cars and Joe headed toward Byron and Jennifer.

"Uncle Joe!" Jennifer cried out joyfully as she jumped into the man's embrace.

The man released her and she grabbed Byron's arm. "Uncle Joe, you remember Byron don't you?"

Joe chuckled. "The boy from Texas? Yes, I remember." He shook Byron's hand. "It's good to see you again."

"Same here." Byron responded.

"Joe nodded his head toward the door. "We'd better get inside. Don't want to miss the tipoff."

Joe led them inside and presented three tickets to the young man at the door. He then led them through a nearby doorway and down to three empty seats at mid-court six rows back. Joe took the seat next to a tall nice looking blond haired woman. Byron and Jennifer took the other two seats. Joe introduced the woman as Sammy (Samantha), his wife. Byron noticed burn scars on Sammy's left hand. He was reminded of the scars on Geoffrey's hands and wondered if there was some kind of correlation there. Next to the woman sat a boy and a girl, both in their early teens. Joe introduced them as his two children. The girl was named Elizabeth and was sixteen (going on seventeen, she insisted). The boy was named Michael. He had just turned thirteen last month.

The game turned out to be a very close hard fought one. They all cheered loudly for the New York team. Between the game, the cheering and the good natured jibes about the opposing team they all had a lot of fun. Byron also enjoyed meeting and talking to Joe Maxwell's family during the occasional breaks in the action.

Michael was a very energetic and boisterous personality, much like his mother. Among his enthusiastic comments about the game he insisted that he wanted to be a basketball star some day and play with the Knicks. Even at thirteen he was fairly tall and Joe was bragging proudly that Michael was the star player on his little league basketball team.

Elizabeth was a bit more reserved than her brother and it took Byron a bit of effort to get her to talk about herself. Using everything he had learned from years of training with his mentor, The Senator, he was able to get her to open up. Though reserved and quiet Elizabeth was very smart, strong willed and confident. He learned that she intended to be a prosecutor like her father and Jennifer's mother. Byron had no doubt that she could accomplish anything that she set out to do.

At one point, when they were talking about future plans and families, Elizabeth had commented she was going to marry someone name Charles. The Senator had taught Byron a lot about observing people and how they react in a tense moment. He now got an unexpected and surprising example of it. He saw the immediate tension reflected in the others at the mention of Charles and Elizabeth had the look of someone that just realized that she had said something that she shouldn't. It lasted only a moment and Byron might have missed it if not for The Senator's training. Then the subject was quickly and adroitly shifted by Sammy onto a very amusing description of how she and Joe had first met.

Byron filed it all away in his little internal database of curious information about people he had met. Then he turned his attention back to the friendly atmosphere and the game. The game ended with a close win for the home team and they all left the stadium in high spirits. Joe and his family had other plans for the evening and headed off leaving Byron and Jennifer on their own.

Jennifer took Byron to dinner at a fancy restaurant located just up the street on Broadway. They talked about the game, Joe's family and the first two movies. He noticed Jennifer get a bit tense for a moment when he let the name Charles drop in an offhand comment and decided that it might not be wise to pry. He settled back to enjoy the fine food and the pleasant company.

After the dinner they caught a cab out to Long Island for the third Lord of the Rings movie.

This time the director and a couple of the actors were present. They talked a bit about making the three movies and told a few anecdotes of life in New Zealand and working on the set. There was a short question and answer session then they began running the movie. Byron put his arm around Jennifer's shoulders and settled in. Though very engrossed in the movie he was also very conscious of the fact that Jennifer had her hand resting on his knee during most of the movie.

After the movie was over Byron stopped at a makeshift booth just inside the main entry. They were selling three movie T-shirts, one for each movie, and a fourth one that was made specifically for this event. He bought one of each of the four T-shirts.

"My but you are a hard core nerd, Byron Wyatt." Jennifer teased with an amused smile as he examined one of the newly purchased shirts.

"Guilty as charged." Byron returned with a grin. "You know that I've been a fan since junior high."

Jennifer chuckled. "I know, you've mentioned it often enough."

They stopped at the same bistro next to the theater for a late snack before catching a taxi back home. Like last night, they stopped first at Byron's hotel and Jennifer walked up to his room with him. They kissed good night again but this time it lasted longer and there was definitely more feeling in it. After she left he spent several minutes thinking about that kiss. There was no doubt that he was hooked. He wondered how they could make a relationship work between a dyed in the wool Texas boy and a hard core New York City girl. If this thing was going to work out then eventually one of them would have to leave their old life behind for the unknown of the other's world.

~ BnB ~

**Fifth Day**

Byron gazed a moment out at the Atlantic Ocean then Jennifer nudged him. He glanced over at her as she whipped off her cover-up in one quick graceful move. The bikini she was wearing did nothing to hide her slender graceful curves. As Byron drank in her beauty he thought he caught a glimpse of what looked like a scar on her side peeking out from her top. She tossed the cover-up onto the blanket they had spread on the beach and took off running.

"Come on!" She called out as she ran down to the water's edge.

Byron gazed at her well defined back for a moment of stunned admiration then forcefully shook himself back to reality. He quickly doffed his pants and, dropping them next to the towels and Jennifer's cover-up. He self-consciously adjusted the T-shirt that he had gotten at the 'Lord of the Rings' movie then he ran his hand across his chest feeling the barely perceptible ridges hidden beneath. He took a deep breath and the next second he was pelting down the beach after Jennifer.

Byron caught up with Jennifer just as a wave washed over her pushing her toward him. He caught her and they both went under. Seconds later they surfaced, sputtering and laughing. Jennifer raised her arms to push her hair out of her face. Byron was appreciating the rather spectacular effects of that movement when he again noticed a three inch scar across her ribs on her left side. The reddening of her skin from the sun and exertion made it stand out clearly.

The next second they both heard a surprised screech as two bodies carried on the next wave crashed into them. They resurfaced and quickly sorted out the tangle of arms and legs that the four of them had become. The human torpedoes turned out to be a teenage boy and girl. With sputtered apologies the two teenagers turned and hurriedly made their way back out to sea. They could both be heard giggling as they disappeared behind another wave.

"What was that?" Byron asked as he watched the pair swimming further out.

"Body surfing." Jennifer responded.

Byron chuckled. "When I was a kid I would visit my cousins in Galveston during the summer." He smiled at the memory. "We would always go body surfing out in the gulf." He grinned at her. "I was actually pretty good at it."

Jennifer cocked her head and grinned back, a hint of challenge in her voice. "Maybe so but this is the Atlantic, let's see how you do in some real waves." She turned with a loud cry of joy and dived into the next wave then she was swimming with strong strokes away from shore.

"Hey!" Byron yelled in response to her challenge and dived in after her. Soon he found himself further from shore than he had ever gone when swimming in the Gulf of Mexico with his cousins.

He pulled up beside Jennifer and she grinned back at him. "Not bad. You almost kept up with me."

Byron grinned back in response. "Hey, I think I did pretty good, considering how much of an advantage you have over me." He felt himself surge upward as the next wave rolled past them. These waves were much larger than the ones he usually encountered off the coast of Galveston. He quirked one eyebrow at Jennifer. "We'll see how well you do on the way back. Your speed and strength won't be much help to you now. Body surfing is a matter of balance and control." He remarked with a hint of challenge in his eyes. '_This should be interesting_.' He thought as they dropped back down on the back side of the passing wave.

Jennifer glanced over her shoulder at the next wave. "OK, Texas, let's see how good you really are." She glanced back again at the oncoming wave. "**Come on!**" She called out and started swimming back toward shore.

Byron was ready and set off swimming right beside her. Seconds later he felt himself surge upward and forward as the wave caught up to them and carried them along. He flattened himself out, thrusting his arms forward, as he yelled out in sheer joy then glanced over to his right at the sound of Jennifer's squeal of delight. Byron looked forward to be sure the way ahead of them was clear of other swimmers then glanced over at Jennifer to see her grinning back at him. He thought to himself, 'This must be what it feels like to fly'.

After a minute Byron shifted slightly upward on the wave then with a slight twist he crossed above Jennifer and finally settled into position on her other side. He could never have done this on the much smaller waves off Galveston. He turned his head and grinned at Jennifer.

"**Show-off!**" she yelled at him with an answering grin.

The two of them zipped along, side by side riding the crest of the wave, peals of laughter and cries of excitement ringing out from them both.

They both managed to ride the wave all the way back to the shore where they ran aground laughing and rolling in the shallow water. Soon they were up and splashing their way back out into deeper water.

On their sixth trip out Jennifer noticed the Byron seemed to be struggling quite a bit more than before. She paused until he reached her. "It's not too much farther, grab my foot and I'll pull you the rest of the way. After this trip let's lay out on the beach and rest for a while."

Byron looked at her foot sticking up out of the water a moment then shrugged and grabbed the offered appendage. Normally he would have balked at having to rely on help from a female but for some reason, he didn't quite understand, his male ego was unaffected by accepting help from Jennifer. The next moment he was being dragged through the water by this amazing petite female and grinning at his own situation.

After about a minute they stopped and tread water as they prepared to ride the next wave back in.

Jennifer was watching him as she commented. "My being stronger than you doesn't bother you at all does it."

Byron shrugged. "Don't ask me to explain it. Normally I would expect my rather macho male ego to be flipping out but with you it seems to be surprisingly unconcerned." He shrugged again. "Who am I to argue with my ego." He grinned at her then glanced over her shoulder. "Here comes a big one." He turned and started swimming. He was pretty tired but he still managed to catch the wave and they were soon off rushing back toward shore.

Once they skidded aground in the shallow water they both dragged themselves, (Jennifer was less dragging and more supporting), up toward where they had set out their blanket.

They lay out on the beach for an hour catching rays of the sun and their breath. After an hour's rest they became involved in a volleyball game with some other young people. Bryan couldn't help admiring Jennifer's lithe bikini clad body and her unconscious feline grace while they played. Again he noticed the scar along her ribs and wondered about it, then the ball came his way and his attention shifted. After a few games they all pulled out their various picnic lunches and ate together while swapping stories about themselves.

After lunch a couple of Frisbees were brought out and they spent a about an hour tossing them around then the more daring of their new acquaintances joined Byron and Jennifer in another round of body surfing.

Once they were all totally worn out they gathered on the beach and stretched out to sunbathe and dry out for a while.

~ o ~

After saying goodbye to their new friends, Byron and Jennifer headed back to Manhattan where they got takeout pizza and returned to Byron's hotel room.

They lay stretched out on the double divan on the hotel room balcony looking out at the downtown Manhattan skyline. Soon the pizza box lay empty on the small side table. Then they were gazing into each other's eyes. Byron leaned in and kissed her. Though taken a bit by surprise Jennifer quickly responded. The kisses were light and almost chase but heartfelt and contained promise of much more beneath the surface.

Soon a fire blossomed within both of them and the kisses began to escalate, getting very passionate. Jennifer's hands started to roam across his back and sides. His hands began to roam in response. Byron had always assumed that he would have to resist pushing things further than she was willing to go but it was Jennifer that was doing the escalating. She seemed to become a creature of pure lust and was drawing Byron right along with her. Rational thought seemed to be on the verge of deserting Byron despite his initial efforts to keep things from going too far. It was a losing battle.

Her hands slipped under his shirt caressing his skin with increasing intensity pushing him beyond his self imposed limits, and then his hands slipped under her shirt in echo of her actions.

She moaned and he could feel her body pressing close. He was barely aware that somehow his shirt had become unbuttoned. Her hand slid across his chest then started moving lower. In a flash of panic he pulled away. She was breathing hard and her eyes had lost focus as though she was no longer seeing him. She continued to writhe against him for another second then awareness returned and she blinked in confusion a couple of times. She then focused in on his face for a second, still looking a bit dazed then surprised.

Then her face went pale as eyes went wide. "Oh!" She uttered uncertainly then her face went bright pink as her eyes opened wide in surprise and embarrassment. "**OH!** . . ." Her face got even redder. "**Jacob!**" Then her eyes focused back in on Byron. "**Oh, God**!" She jumped up and fled through the hotel room into the bathroom.

Byron followed slowly and stood indecisively at the closed bathroom door. After a few minutes he called to her through that closed door. "Jennifer, are you all right?" He asked worriedly.

After a long moment of silence he heard her quivery voice responding. "I'm . . . I'm OK."

Byron self consciously buttoned and straightened his shirt then called out a bit diffidently. "Jennifer did I do something wrong?"

The silence seemed to stretch interminably then the door opened and Jennifer stepped out looking a bit embarrassed. She looked shyly up at his face. "No! . . . No it has nothing to do with you." Then her eyes returned to the floor.

He cocked his head at her a moment then spoke. "Jacob?" He inquired quietly. Her head popped up. A look of surprise and worry invaded her eyes. There was no doubt in his mind that he had somehow hit the nail square on the head with that one word and that Jacob, whoever he was, was a sensitive subject. He decided to take the bull by the horns. "Who is he?" Byron asked as gently as he could despite the lump in his throat. Was there a rival out there?

Jennifer shook her head then took his hand, interlacing her fingers with his, and looked hesitantly up at his face. "Just, please, forget what I said. He's someone I can't talk about." She seemed to be having trouble meeting his eyes and finally looked down at their clasped hands. She swallowed once. "Can we just sit out on the divan and watch the sunset together and forget what just happened?"

Byron took a deep breath; his body was still swirling with the remnants of the sexual energy she had awakened in him. "Of course." He replied. He fought to bring his raging emotions under control and caressed her cheek with his other hand. Though he had agreed to her request he knew that he would not be able to forget what had just happened. It was one more clue in the mystery that was Jennifer Chandler.

After a few seconds to calm himself he led her back out to the balcony. Byron adjusted the backs of the divan into a more upright position then they both settled down to watch the sunset together in silence. As soon as they had settled down he felt her hand creep unto his and she interlaced her fingers with his. He glanced over to see her looking back with a shy uncertain smile. He gave her an encouraging smile in return and saw her smile brighten. Then he turned his attention to the setting sun.

As they watched the clouds colored by the fading rays of the sun Byron's mind kept wandering back to what had happened earlier. Jennifer's fingers interlaced with his reassured him that their budding relationship was still secure but that didn't stop him from wondering who this Jacob really was and why she had acted so strangely earlier.

Once the sky turned dark they quietly entered the room. Jennifer checked her watch then gave him a quick hug and released him. "I have to go." She paused looking down a moment then looked up shyly. "I had a wonderful time, Byron." She gave his hand a squeeze as he walked her to the door.

He pulled the door open then in a quiet voice asked her. "Are we still OK?"

"We're still OK." She stretched up and gave him a quick kiss. "Good night." She stepped through the door and turned to face him again, reaching out to touch his chest lightly. "I'll be by tomorrow morning to take you to the airport." Then she turned quickly and walked away as he closed his hotel room door.

Byron leaned against the door thinking about what had happened. He knew why **he** had reacted to her hands moving toward dangerous territory, but what could have caused **her** to react the way she had. What had set her off like that? For a while there her passion had been spiraling out of control and dragging him along with her despite his better judgment. Then she had seemed to come to her senses. After that, a definite awkward aura had descended over them.

And who the hell was Jacob?

Byron eventually retired to bed but it took a while to finally fall asleep.

~ BnB ~

Byron had just finished getting ready for the day when there was a knock at his door.

It was Jennifer. She smiled shyly at his look of surprise. "Good morning Byron. I thought I'd come by early and we could go get some breakfast before heading over to the airport."

Byron thought he could detect a hint of distracted apprehension behind her smile. He nodded and smiled reassuringly back at her. "Sounds good to me. Do you have any place in mind?"

She nodded. "How about that little place here in the hotel?"

Byron shrugged. "Sounds fine."

He closed the door behind him and they headed down to the café on the ground floor of the hotel. The morning crowd in the café was fairly light and they were seated quickly. As he looked over the selections Byron noticed that Jennifer seemed to have trouble concentrating on her menu. He wondered if it had anything to do with what had happened last night.

"What is it that has you so distracted?"

"Hu?" She glanced up at him and blinked. "Aahh, I . . . what?"

"Distracted . . . You seem a bit distracted."

She visibly dragged her attention back to here and now. "Oh, I apologize." She looked at her menu a moment without really seeing it. "Some things have happened since yesterday." She looked over at Byron. "It's . . ." Her voice trailed off and she seemed at a loss for what to say.

"Is this about last night?" He inquired softly.

Jennifer looked sharply at him a moment then her eyes softened. "I'm sorry about what happened last night." He saw a hint of regret in her eyes but there was also something else there, a hint of satisfaction over something that only she knew. Then all of her regard was on him and her look turned wistful. "Maybe someday I'll be able to explain it to you . . . but . . . not today."

Byron could clearly see a request for trust and understanding in her brilliant blue eyes. He gave it to her with a wistful smile of his own. "Maybe someday."

The waiter approached, asking if they wished to order now. They both returned their attention to their menus and made their selections. They limited themselves to general small talk during their breakfast. Afterward they went back to his room; he retrieved his baggage; and then he checked out.

The ride to the airport was spent in relative quiet as both of them were immersed in their own thoughts. When they reached the airport she parked her car and accompanied him into the terminal as far as they would let her.

At the point where they were forced to part she threw her arms around him and kissed him passionately. "Have a safe trip and call me when you get in." She smiled a bit shyly. "You mean an awful lot to me, Byron." Then she backed away so he could proceed through the checkpoint.

Byron spent the entire flight home thinking about the complicated young woman that he seemed to have fallen for. There was no longer any doubt about it. His feelings had moved well beyond even close friendship.

From her reactions last night it seemed her feelings toward him had also become very serious and very strong but something had happened. Something pushed her further than she had intended then had caused her to pull back. At least she had made it clear that what happened last night had not damaged their budding relationship.

He suspected that there were many things that she kept carefully hidden from the rest of the world. He also suspected that there were other things that she kept hidden even from him. He wondered what he would discover when she finally let him all the way in; when she finally let him see that side of her. Would her rather unique abilities be part of the mystery? His imagination had already conjured up some pretty outrageous scenarios.

**_Continued in Part 3_**

* * *

'**Beauty and the Beast'** and its characters are owned by Witt-Thomas Productions and Republic Pictures. No infringement on copyrights is intended. This story is presented merely for the enjoyment of fans. Original concepts and story elements may be used by other authors as long as appropriate credit is given.


	3. Spring and Summer 2011

**The Girl and The Long Distance Romance  
**The Five Of Hearts Series  
_by Thomas Mc_

* * *

**Chapter ****3 : Spring and Summer 2011**  


**Chandler Lake, mid-March**

Byron stood a few feet from the edge of the small lake and looked out over the water in appreciation of the beautiful scenery. The trees were full of green leaves and beautiful flowers that were just at their fullest. The air was full of the fragrance of the early spring foliage. Fifty yards to his left and slightly behind him sat the large two story lake house that Jennifer had told him about. Fifty yards to his right, nestled against the edge of the woods were two large log cabins. In front of him the mid-morning sun sparkled off the clear rippling water of the lake. On the beach fifteen feet behind him was a large circular stone fire pit surrounded by a wide wooden deck. His gaze shifted momentarily to the floating dock that lay about thirty yards out on the lake as two young men did cannonballs off it. As he took it all in, he thought about everything that Jennifer had told him about this place.

Over the last two years Byron had heard so much from Jennifer about this particular Chandler family retreat. The place had been originally built back in around 1920 by a man that had made a fortune off of The Great War. It had been designed as a lakeside resort made up of a main bed and breakfast building and over a dozen smaller single family log cabins located around a four hundred acre natural lake. The main bed and breakfast building was two stories with an eight foot wide covered veranda on three sides. It could house a half dozen guests plus the caretaker. After the Great Depression the place had fallen into financial ruin and disrepair. Jennifer's great grandfather had bought it. He had restored the main building and two of the closest cabins to be used as a family retreat and to entertain business clients. He had also built a shed that held several canoes for use on the lake. The remainder of the cabins had been torn down for raw material to be used in the renovations. Most of what was left over had been given to other property owners in the area. Jennifer's great grandfather had passed the property on to his son, Jennifer's grandfather, who had in turn passed it on to Jennifer's mother.

Two weeks ago Jennifer had told him about her plans to spend the weekend of spring break with several of her college friends out at the family lake house. He had told her that he looked forward to hearing about how it went the next time he talked to her. She had responded by inviting him to fly up for the weekend. She had told him that, officially, he would be there as one of the chaperones. She had even said that she would get the last minute plane tickets for him. The Senator had not objected to him taking a long weekend off.

So here he was, at a private lake in Connecticut with a group of twenty year old college kids . . . and Jennifer. There were ten other, already paired off, friends here at the Lake this weekend. Jennifer had introduced him to them shortly after he had arrived two hours ago. They were Thomas and Cindy, Jeff and Gail, Cody (real name Dakota) and Megan, Bob and Sabrina, and finally James and Patty. They all appeared to be very nice but they didn't seem to be quite sure what to make of Byron. The rest had been here since yesterday afternoon and Jennifer had picked him up at the airport early this morning. After the introductions Jennifer had run up to the lake house to help her mother with something and Byron had been left looking at the lake while the others seemed to break into pairs.

At that moment Jennifer came up from behind him and put an arm around him. "Well, what do you think?"

Byron took a deep breath and replied. "It's beautiful." He looked over at Jennifer, put his arm around her shoulder and smiled. "Almost as beautiful as you are."

She dimpled as she smiled back at him. "Why thank you kind sir." We'd better get you unpacked. I've put you in one of the rooms in the main house . . ." Her eyes took on a wicked gleam. ". . . with the other old folks." She giggled and sprinted away toward the large lake house.

"Old am I?" He responded and took off after her.

Byron caught her just as they both reached the lake house porch. That alone proved that she wanted to be caught since he knew quite well that she could easily outrun him. He pulled her around and she came easily into his arms. He kissed her, slowly and gently but there was a hint of real passion hidden just behind it.

They were interrupted by the sound of a clearing throat. They broke apart and found Catherine standing there. She glared at Byron but there was a hint of a smile twitching at the corners of her mouth. "Some chaperone you're turning out to be."

Byron shrugged with a grin. "What can I say? I have a weakness for mischievous sapphire eyes."

They pulled apart as a tall redheaded woman came out of the house. Byron thought she looked very familiar. Catherine glanced at the woman then introduced her. "This is a good friend of mine, Samantha Maxwell. She is the other chaperone."

The woman smiled at Byron. "It's nice to see you again and call me Sammy." She glanced at Byron's arm around Jennifer's waist and her smile widened. "Maybe that should be the chaperone's chaperone."

Catherine chuckled at this comment.

Byron frowned a moment as he placed Sammy in his memory then he glanced down expecting to see the burn scars on her hand. "I remember you . . . that night at that Broadway theatre two years ago and again at Madison Square Garden. You're Joe Maxwell's wife." He smiled. "It's nice to see you again as well. Umm . . . didn't you used to be blond?"

Catherine, Jennifer and Sammy all giggled. Catherine responded to his remark. "Sammy is famous for her forever changing hair color." Sammy merely smiled.

Catherine remarked with warm smile. "Well come on inside and I'll show you to your room."

The four of them entered the main house and Catherine led Byron to one of the upstairs bedrooms. "This will be your room. I'm in the room across the hall. Sammy is in the room next to yours."

Jennifer's Face took on a look of simulated frustration. "Oh no!" She exclaimed. "They have you surrounded." She glanced at Catherine and Sammy. How will I ever get past the guards at the gate?"

Catherine glared at Jennifer. "The **kids** will be staying in the two cabins. Boys in one, girls in the other." She raised one eyebrow. "And there will be **no** going past any gates."

"Kill joy!" Jennifer retorted;

"No." Catherine responded then tilted her head and her smile widened. "Chaperone."

Byron could clearly see the amusement bubbling just beneath the surface on Catherine and Jennifer's faces. He smiled with a hint of a chuckle then entered his assigned room and dropped his bag on the bed.

Jennifer called out from the doorway. "Why don't you change into your swimsuit and I'll meet you out by the lake."

Byron grinned back at her. "I'll be there before you can say 'The Eyes of Texas'."

Catherine pulled his door shut and Byron turned back to the bed. It took him two minutes to empty his bag then he quickly shed his clothes. He pulled out his swim trunks and a t-shirt and put them on. He automatically avoided looking at the mirror until he had the t-shirt on. Once ready he looked at his reflection. The t-shirt was black with a Texas flag covering about half of the front. The trunks were black with broad red, white and blue stripes down the sides. He nodded at his reflection then stepped into a pair of beach sandals.

~ o ~

Back out by the lake Byron looked around for Jennifer. Several of the others had already changed and were gathered at the water's edge. For a moment he wondered where Jennifer was then he spotted her coming out of one of the cabins. His heart skipped a beat and he felt like the wind had been knocked out of him. She was wearing a 'very' abbreviated turquoise bikini and a filmy white cover-up that covered up nothing. She looked beautiful. Moments that seemed to move in slow motion later she stopped in front of him.

She grinned up at him with a sparkle of mischief in her eyes and a hint of a giggle in her voice. "Better close your mouth or you're going to end up swallowing a lot of water."

He closed his mouth with a snap, swallowed once then remarked with a voice full of emotion. "Wow. . . You look . . . wonderful." He swallowed again trying to regain his scattered wits.

With a grin and a giggle she looked him up and down then responded. "You don't look half bad yourself there, Texas." Again her gaze swept him top to bottom. "Black really suits you." She grabbed his hand. "Come on, let's join the rest."

She pulled him, unresisting, to where the rest had congregated. Soon a couple of Frisbees came out and they were all engaged in various games involving throwing the plastic disks, a lot of running around, occasional splashing and much laughter. Eventually the Frisbees were abandoned in favor of water polo and other energetic water games.

Eventually Catherine and Sammy appeared on the beach and called everyone in for lunch, which was a variety of sandwiches and soda served picnic style, on the beach.

Byron soon became the center of conversation. They all knew each other fairly well and were curious about Jennifer's friend from Texas. Byron quickly realized that they were expecting him to fit into the standard Texas cowboy stereotype so he began playing into their expectations. He was soon really getting into it, throwing in the occasional 'yawls' and other colorful colloquialisms and generally having a blast. Jennifer caught on immediately to what he was doing and he often caught the glint of amusement in her eyes while trying to maintain a serious expression.

~ o ~

They had just finished cleaning up the refuse from lunch when Jennifer sidled up next to Byron. "Hey there, cowboy, would you like a tour of the property?" She inquired with an exaggerated western twang in her voice.

Byron suppressed the desire to laugh and responded. "Why, your darn tootin' I would ma'am."

Jennifer grabbed his hand and started off in the direction of the two cabins. She looked at him, her eyes dancing with mischief as laughter began bubbling up from her. "Ooo, you are soooo bad." She paused, snickering and shaking her head then continued. "I was about to burst from not laughing at your cowboy routine back there during lunch." She shook her head again. "How in the world do you keep a straight face while you're doing that."

Byron looked at her deadpan and responded. "Why ma'am I have no idea what yawl are talking about."

Jennifer looked at him for half a beat then cracked up. Two seconds later Byron cracked up.

Minutes later they approached one of the cabins and Jennifer showed him around. It had a fairly large common room, a small kitchenette, a bathroom and two bedrooms. It was surprisingly comfortable despite its rustic appearance.

They left the cabin and headed north along the eastern shore of the lake.

As they walked beside the lake, Jennifer was telling Byron about the property. ". . . is a naturally formed lake and it's fed by a stream that flows into the property from the northwest. There is a gully through that slight rise on the east side that lets the water flow out. The stream turns back southeast just beyond the edge of those woods and exits the property on the southeast corner."

Just past the two cabins they came to a small picturesque wooden foot bridge that crossed the stream halfway between the lake and the edge of the woods. They stopped in the middle of the bridge.

Jennifer leaned on the railing and gazed out over the lake. She sighed and gently caressed the smooth wood railing. "My Grandfather built this bridge almost sixty years ago. The original bridge that was here fell apart shortly after the original owner went bankrupt."

Byron noticed that the bridge looked to be in very good condition for its age.

She shrugged as a hint of melancholy crossed her face. "He died a few years before I was born so I never got a chance to know him but Mom has told me a lot about him. She said that they would stand on this bridge together and he would tell her stories about the strange and magical things that went on in those woods across the lake." She sighed. "Sometimes, when I was much younger, Mother and I would stand here and she would tell me some of the stories that Grandfather told her."

Byron quietly took her hand and interlaced his fingers with hers. She looked up into his face and smiled. "I've really missed you since last summer." She put her arms around him sending a warm tingle up his spine. "Phone calls and e-mails just aren't good enough anymore." She hugged him tightly and he reciprocated. She sighed contentedly then looked up into his eyes. "I've been needing that since you went back to Texas." She gave him one more squeeze then let go.

She took hold of his hand and, without a word, they continued across the bridge and strolled northward along the east shore. They walked on for several minutes, each deep in their own thoughts.

After a while Byron spoke, mostly to break the silence. "Do you come up here very often?" The next instant his thought how lame that sounded.

Jennifer smiled. "We usually come here as a family four or five times a year. Lately my sisters and I have come up here several times on our own." She pointed off toward the south east. "About three miles that way our little stream joins a river that is very popular with people that like to go tubing. It's one of the very few places that **isn't** too rocky for it." She laughed. "In fact, that's where I was two weeks ago. Brigit, Nancy and I were tubing down the river Friday, Saturday and Sunday. By the time we got home we were wiped-out. That's why I sounded so tired when you called Sunday night."

By this time they had reached the northern most point of the lake.

Byron chuckled. "Back home during the summer me and my friends would often go tubing down the San Marcus River to the family campground. A branch of my family owns a chunk of land where the river crosses I-35. It was always a blast." He frowned. "It's been over four years since the last time we went." He sighed regretfully. "Lately, between my internships and now my job with The Senator, I just haven't had the time for that kind of thing."

She tightened her grip on his hand. "Come on." Then took off at a fast walk.

Since she had a firm hold of his hand Byron was obliged to follow. They continued on around the lake until they reached a wide stone bridge where a gravel road crossed the stream that flowed into the lake.

As they crossed the stone bridge Jennifer remarked. "This bridge was built at the same time that the original resort was built right after World War I. When I was three years old it was crumbling and had become unsafe to drive on. Mom had to hire a crew to come out and do a complete restoration on it."

She led him over the stone bridge and turned right, heading into the woods. "This way." she remarked over her shoulder at Byron while pulling him along at a medium trot.

As they entered the woods she slowed down to a medium walk then released his hand and slipped her arm around his waist. Byron responded by draping his arm over her shoulder. They walked on for a few minutes in silence.

He looked down into her face as she looked up into his eyes. She stopped and they turned toward each other. She stretched upon tip-toes at the same time as he leaned down. Their lips met in a soft kiss. After a couple of seconds the kiss became stronger, more passionate. Her body melded up against him as the heat between them flared briefly. Finally they pulled back and stared into each other's eyes.

Jennifer eyes sparkled with emotion. "God I've missed you." Her hand snaked around his neck and she pulled him, unresisting, into another kiss.

They pulled apart and he rested his forehead against hers with a deep sigh. "I've missed you, too."

They stood there for several more minutes in a mutual embrace, each basking in the other's essence. Finally after another deep kiss they separated.

Jennifer released him and again took hold of his hand. "Come on, there's something I want to show you." She was again pulling him along through the woods.

Another hundred yards or so and they entered a large clearing that was dominated by a huge tree. The tree had to be nearly twice as high as everything else around it. The clearing was about seventy-five yards across and extended about a quarter mile to the east where Byron could make out the stone and split rail fence that surrounded the property. The clearing was filled with knee high wild grass dotted here and there with a scattering of brightly colored wildflowers.

Byron's gaze was drawn to the enormous tree that seemed to rule over the clearing. He noticed an unfinished two level tree house part way up into its lower branches. The lower section on the west side consisted of a four foot by six foot completed platform with a three-and-a-half foot high railing on three sides. The open side faced the central trunk. There was a six foot by eight foot half finished framework on the east side of the tree and about three feet higher up. There were also a couple of beams that looked like they would eventually support a roof over the larger structure. Ladder-like rungs had been attached to the trunk, giving easy access to both platforms.

They came to a stop near the base of the tree and Byron looked up at the two structures. "Who's building the tree house?" He inquired as he noted the surprisingly well designed construction. As a boy and a young teen Byron had built his fair share of tree houses but nothing as nice as this.

Byron was still looking up at the structure and missed Jennifer's flustered moment before answering. "Umm . . . It . . . ah . . . It's sort of a, ah, family project."

"Is it safe to go up and look at it?" He asked.

"Sure." She replied and began climbing.

Byron was right behind her and soon they were both standing on the smaller completed platform. Now as he looked out he could clearly make out twice as many wildflowers that had been previously hidden by the tall grass. Jennifer leaned back into Byron drawing his attention away from the meadow. With a sigh, he put his arms around her. For the next few minutes they remained like that and drank in the view and the warmth of their close proximity.

Jennifer finally broke the silence and commented on the view. "In the late spring that meadow will be completely covered in colorful wildflowers."

"Must be a spectacular sight." He commented.

"Yes it is." She responded. Suddenly she turned in his arms and stretched up to give him a kiss then she pulled away. "Come on, I want to show you something really spectacular." She turned and began climbing up the central trunk.

After a moment Byron followed her. They soon were deep into the canopy of leaves as they continued to climb and Byron began to wonder just how high they were going to go. Then just as the branches were almost too small to hold their weight they came to a small two foot by one foot platform supported between the largest central branch and three smaller branches. Byron cautiously stepped up onto the swaying platform next to Jennifer and his head emerged above the majority of the tree's leafy canopy. He gasped as he took in the vista that surrounded him. He could see for miles in every direction. He slowly turned taking in the view. In all directions the forests seemed to go on forever. To the east he could see the clearing and some of the lake they had just come from. Far to the south he thought he could catch a hint of blue on the horizon and wondered if it was the ocean. To the west beyond the meadow the forests and the sky met in an irregular purple haze. To the far north he could see the jagged snow capped tops of mountains.

Jennifer pointed to the northern mountain range. "That is the Appalachian Mountains about twenty five miles north of us. The small stream that feeds our private lake originates somewhere in the foothills. There are also some hot springs that feed it along the way making our lake a little bit warmer than it might normally be."

"Beautiful." Byron remarked reverently. Then he focused in on Jennifer. "Well worth the climb." His smile widened. "Especially when experienced in such charming company."

Jennifer blushed and dimpled as her eyes slid downward. After a few quiet seconds she finally spoke. "Well we'd better get down. This platform isn't really meant to hold two people."

Once they were back down on the tree house platform Byron sat down with his back against the trunk and his legs stretched out in front of him. At his invitation Jennifer settled between his legs with her back resting against his chest then he wrapped his arms around her waist and linked his hands together at the base of her ribs. She placed her hands over his and then sighed in contentment.

After a few quiet minutes she let her head fall back against his chest. "I love coming up here. It's so restful and serene. I feel like I'm protected from the rest of the world. She turned her head and tilted it back so that she could almost see his face. It's especially nice sharing it with you."

Byron looked down at her upturned face. "I'm honored that you were willing to share this place with me."

She giggled. "You know you talk a lot like a politician."

He chuckled back. "I guess that's a good thing since that's what I'm going to be."

"Oh, heavens. What will mother say?" She giggled again. "I'm falling for a politician."

Her words caught him off guard. "Falling?" He asked.

Jennifer seemed to snuggle a bit deeper against him then responded. "I'm afraid so."

He thought about it for several seconds before hugging her a bit tighter as he responded. "That may be a good thing because I seem to be falling for you." Then he chuckled. "My mother will be scandalized. It will be the talk of the family. Me . . . consorting with a Yankee? My mother will have kittens." Jennifer emitted a quick snort of a laugh. He chuckled again. "So you think your mother will freak out over you going with a politician?"

"She'll have kittens." Jennifer responded then she started laughing. After a few seconds she repeated the phrase. "She'll have . . . kittens?" Then she dissolved into peals of laughter.

Although he couldn't understand why she found that phrase so funny, her mirth soon had him dissolving into spates of laughter as well. "Who knows?" He commented between snickers. "We may end up with a whole family of cats." Her laughter died rather quickly and she looked over her shoulder into his eyes for a moment. He looked down into her eyes and smiled. "Can't you just see the two of us standing there up to our knees in kittens."

The mental image soon had both of them cracking up again although Byron could swear that there was just a tiny hint of hysteria hiding behind her laughter. After their laugher died out they sat in silence for a while enjoying the afterglow of a good laugh and the warmth of each other's company.

For a while they alternated between quiet conversation and periods of companionable silence. During a longer stretch of silence Byron was beginning to doze off when he felt Jennifer's head slip sideways then pop up with a jerk.

"Oh, I nearly dozed off there." She commented.

"That wouldn't do." Bryan returned with a grin. "I haven't used that excuse for staying out late since high school."

They both laughed self-consciously then Jennifer checked her watch. "Well it is getting close to dinner time. I suppose we should start back."

They untangled themselves and climbed down from the platform. Clasping hands they headed back toward the lake.

The rest of the gang was already starting to gather around the campfire when they arrived. Catherine was passing out long metal skewers to everyone. Less than a minute after they joined the group Sammy arrived carrying a platter full of hot dogs. The evening was spent roasting and consuming hot dogs and general companionable talk. Shortly after sundown they dispersed and everyone headed off to bed.

Byron lay in bed thinking about the last year. A lot had happened over that last year in his life and, he suspected, in Jennifer's as well.

He had finally come to an understanding of just how secretive she was about her life but he had still managed to piece together some interesting bits here and there. He knew from her demeanor and the sound of her voice that something very important had happened in her live during that time and it had finally culminated in some major event around Christmas time. Whatever it was, she had not so much as dropped a hint of what it might have been. Byron had decided to bide his time and not push her to tell him what was going on. Hopefully one day she would trust him enough to tell him on her own.

He wondered if she was truly getting as serious about him as he was about her. The way she tried to keep things light made it hard to tell. His mind drifted to the time spent up in the tree house. She had let her guard down a bit and he felt that they were definitely getting closer despite her secretive tendencies. He finally drifted off to sleep dreaming about her.

~ BnB ~

The next morning got off to a gallop. After a fast light breakfast they all took off on the backs of horses brought from the riding stable that adjoined the northern border of the property. Byron had dressed up in full cowboy western regalia and was fully in his element. His grandfather on his mother's side raised horses out in west Texas and he had spent many summers on that ranch as a young boy. He played the Texas cowboy part to the hilt which kept Jennifer very amused.

Their guide, supplied by the stable, led them on some beautiful trails through neighboring woods. At noon they stopped in a large open meadow and, after cooling down the horses, they set up a small campfire where they roasted hotdogs for their lunch. After lunch their guide led them in some horseback games in the open meadow before finally heading back to the stables.

After they each finished removing their saddles and tackle and putting it away they all sat down for a bunkhouse style meal then they were taken back by bus to the Chandler lake house.

Like the previous day the evening was spent around the fire pit roasting marshmallows and shooting the breeze. Jennifer sat with her back resting against Byron's chest and his arms wrapped around her waist. She lay her head back against his shoulder and sighed in contentment. She thought that she could easily get used to this. Byron was thinking the exact same thing as he turned his head slightly and kissed the top of her head.

Finally the group broke up and everyone headed off to their beds.

The last thing on Byron's mind as he fell asleep was the image of Jennifer galloping along on horseback.

~ BnB ~

The next morning they pulled out the canoes and began paddling around the lake, the experienced teaching the inexperienced. Though Byron had never handled a canoe before he caught on fairly quickly and soon he and Jennifer were racing their craft around the lake. Once everyone felt confident in the little boats they started trying to see how fast they could move and soon they all ended up racing each other back and forth across the lake. Jennifer and Byron won most of their races.

At one point the racers started using their oars to splash the opponents. Then it degenerated into a free-for-all. Byron and Jennifer became more interested in splashing each other with their oars. They were both soaked by the time it was over. They decided to lay out on the beach for a while and let the sun dry them out while they watched those that remained out on the lake.

Stretched out on the beach Byron noticed the same, now barely visible, scar on Jennifer's left side that he had remembered seeing when they were at the beach last summer. He gently traced it with his finger. "Where did this come from?"

She glanced down at it a moment then looked up at him. "That happened when the towers were hit on 9-11." She rolled to face him. "I was helping to dig out some survivors trapped in a buried subway car when the tunnel we were digging in collapsed and I was nearly buried alive. I broke a rib there and it punctured my lung. They rushed me to the hospital and that scar is from the emergency surgery."

Byron looked back at her in surprise. "You were hurt **that** bad?" The idea that she could have been killed horrified him.

"They told me that my heart stopped twice."

A shiver ran up Byron's back at the thought of how close it had come and the idea that they might never have met.

She saw the look on his face and reached over to caress the side of his face. "That was a long time ago and I'm still here and very much alive." She leaned in and gave him the lightest peck of a kiss. "I was lucky."

Byron leaned in for another kiss. This one carried a stronger emotional jolt. They broke and he sighed looking deep in to her eyes. "Well I'm very glad that you're still around." He reached out and lightly traced the scar sending a tingle racing through her. Byron felt a similar tingle run up from his fingers where they touched her skin.

For a second they gazed longingly into each other's eyes and started to lean in for another kiss when they were interrupted by the untimely arrival of Jeff and Gail.

"Hey guys we need two more for a volleyball game. Come on and join us." Jeff insisted as Gail tried to pull Byron to his feet.

After recovering from the surprise interruption Byron and Jennifer reluctantly got up and joined the others by the volleyball net. After a bit of negotiation it ended up being the boys versus the girls.

Byron could tell that Jennifer was holding back but the girls still won the first game. The boys came back to win the second game but the girls won the third game.

Then it was meal time. Hamburgers, French fries, and sodas were consumed around the fire pit as the day's events occupied the conversation. After they had polished off the food Byron and Jennifer went for a walk in the woods to the east of the lake behind the cabins.

They stopped beside the stream to enjoy the view. Jennifer leaned back against a tree with her hands behind her back. Byron took a casual pose with one hand against the tree near her shoulder and his ankles crossed. They commented to each other about the view around them.

Byron however was thinking about other things. He glanced over at Jennifer. She looked so beautiful standing there. The way the dappled light played over her mesmerized him. They had known each other for three years now, though they had actually only spent about a month in each other's company. He knew what he felt. Maybe it was time to make his feelings clear.

After a few minutes Byron swung around and placed his other hand on the tree trunk near her other shoulder. There was a soft hint of anticipation simmering in her eyes as she stared back at him. Her lips parted and the simmer lurking in her eyes began to boil. Byron slowly lowered his head and their lips met in a soft tentative kiss that swiftly gained in intensity as her arms came up and closed around his back.

After a moment, that seemed to last forever but was way too short, Byron pulled back. They gazed at each other with emotion clouded eyes then he spoke. "I do believe that I am falling in love with you, Jennifer Chandler."

He could see her response in her eyes as he again closed the distance between them in another kiss.

When the separated she gave a deep sigh. "I think I'm falling for you, too." Then she pulled him close for another kiss.

After that little more was spoken. It was all said with kisses and caresses. After a couple of hours of such quiet conversation they finally headed hand in hand back toward the lake house. A new deeper understanding had formed between them, their minds both churning with possibilities and hopes.

~ o ~

Dinner that evening was steak and shrimp kabobs. Several metal skewers were loaded up with the components in the lake house kitchen. Then the loaded skewers were brought out and they were grilled over the lakeside fire pit. Though paper plates were available, most of the campers ate their meal right off the skewers.

After the meal Byron and Jennifer wandered off into the woods and ended up in the tree house again. More kissing and cuddling ensued.

After a while they were both surprised to hear Catherine's voice calling them from below. Jennifer and Byron both peeked over the side to see Catherine standing there looking up.

"I thought I'd find you there." Catherine remarked.

"Mother? Ah . . . is there something wrong?"

Catherine chuckled. "Other that everyone has noticed your frequent absences, no, nothing's wrong." She cocked her head. "I just came to tell you that their all gathering around the fire pit for ghost stories and tall tales. I know how much you love stories around the camp fire."

Jennifer glanced at Byron, who grinned back, then responded to her mother's implied question. "We'll be right down." Less than two minutes later the three of them were heading back to the lake. As soon as they came within sight of the lake, Jennifer and Byron raced ahead to join the others, already gathered around the brightly burning fire.

Soon they were all relating their favorite fireside stories, many of which revolved around popular New York urban legends. Jeff told one about the lady of the bridge and the particularly rude driver. Byron told the story of Pecos Bill. Byron actually felt a chill run up his back as Megan told a story about the lion-man of Central Park and the runaway orphans.

Long after dark the group finally broke up and they all headed to their beds for a good night's sleep.

~ BnB ~

The fourth day began with a breakfast of scrambled eggs bacon and toast. Afterward it was Frisbee games on the beach followed by games in the water that all involved lots of splashing. It seemed to Byron that Jennifer's friends were determined to prevent them from going off on their own. Then a lunch of fire roasted hotdogs. After lunch everyone packed up for the return home then they all pitched in to clean up the buildings and the area around the lake. By three in the afternoon they had all piled into the four vans for the two hour trip back to New York. Though he had flown into a nearby airport in Connecticut, He would be leaving out of New York for his flight back this evening.

After dropping everyone off the four vans were returned to the rental company then Jennifer and Byron went out to dinner at a nice little Italian restaurant in Brooklyn. They spent the meal talking about their time at the lake punctuated by occasional moments of quietly gazing into each other's eyes. After dinner it was time for Jennifer to drop him off at the airport.

A small fender-bender causing heavier than expected traffic resulted in the timing being very close so they only had time for a quick hug and kiss goodbye before he had to rush off to board the plane. As the plane climbed Byron looked out at the New York skyline. He was sad to see the end of this little vacation but at the same time he was looking forward to Jennifer's planned trip to Texas later this summer.

She would be graduating next spring with her degree in Geology. Now she was planning to go for her Master's Degree and was considering several good schools for her post graduate work, including the University of Texas in Austin. She would be spending several weeks this summer visiting the Schools she was considering. Byron was determined to show her that UT and Austin were the best choices.

~ BnB ~

**Austin in July **

Jennifer looked out the window as the plane continued its gentle descent. Below she could see miles of nothing but flat patchwork ground stretching from horizon to horizon. The speaker overhead stated that they would be landing in ten minutes. She was taking a month to visit the schools that she was considering for her post graduate work. If she was going to be honest with herself, this school was on the list largely because Byron had been talking it up to her and this was where he lived.

The plane began to bank and the view shifted. Then the city came into view. She was amazed at how much of the city was obscured by green foliage. It was a beautiful city. She spotted the capital building and was surprised to notice that it had a pinkish grey cast to it.

The capital building quickly disappeared behind her and the airport came into view as the plane banked for final approach. She glanced at her watch. 6:20 in the afternoon. It looked like she would be landing right on time.

Twenty minutes later she was exiting the jetway. She scanning ahead as she tried, futilely, to see beyond all the taller people all around her. She grumbled to herself about the drawbacks of being so short as the crowd began to spread out beyond the doorway.

~ o ~

Byron stared anxiously up into the sky looking for her plane. He knew it was probably futile but he couldn't help himself. Then the arrival of her flight was announced. He quickly made his way over to where the disembarking passengers would emerge. His heart sped up as he scanned the throng of people coming through the doors.

He didn't see her at first but after about ten minutes she appeared right in front of him, peering intently all around her. She spotted him about a second after he spotted her. They were immediately in each other's arms and Byron welcomed Jennifer to Texas with a long passionate kiss.

"Welcome to Texas, Jennifer." He exclaimed then took her hand. "This way to the baggage claim area." He drew her off to the appropriate baggage carousel while animatedly telling her about what he had in mind for her for her four day visit to Austin.

~ o ~

After dropping her luggage off at her hotel Byron glanced at his watch and nodded to himself with a self satisfied smile. "Good timing. We have just enough time to make it to our dinner reservations." He grinned at Jennifer. "Let's go, you'll love this place."

Shortly after pulling away from the hotel they came to an intersection that turned onto a bridge. A large slowly rotating purple metal sculpture beside the intersection caught her attention. It made her think of a skewed Batman symbol. "That is a very interesting piece of art." She commented.

Byron grinned. "It's called 'Nightwing'. It celebrates Austin's most famous part-time residents." The light turned green and he pulled onto the bridge.

Since deciding on a university was in the back of her mind the first thought that occurred to her was to question what a comic book character had to do with college students. When she asked Byron about it he merely laughed and told her that she would understand shortly. She shrugged at his uninformative response then looked around at the surprisingly large number of people standing along the bridge railing.

He reached the other end of the bridge then he turned onto a side road that followed the river. Five minutes later they pulled into a seafood restaurant parking lot. Five minutes after that they were seated on an outside veranda that looked out over the river and the bridge that they had just crossed. There were mist sprayers and large fans that kept the outdoor area at a reasonable temperature. Soon they had ordered and received their meal.

"This food's not bad for a place out in the wild west." She needled him with a bit of a grin.

He glanced at his watch then grinned back. "Oh the foods OK but the real draw of this place is the show."

She glanced around the veranda curiously then looked back at him with puzzled expression. "What show? I don't see any stage or any room for any show to take place."

He glanced out over the river and grinned even wider. "You'll see soon enough." He took another bite of his meal then continued talking. "By the way, what do you think of our Congress Avenue Bridge?"

She glanced out over the water, curios what would be so interesting about a fairly plain looking bridge. It still looked unremarkable to her. Then she noticed a small cloud of birds emerging from under the bridge. Then another cloud of them emerged followed by an even bigger group. They all seemed to be heading more or less toward the restaurant. Now there was a steady stream of them coming from under the bridge. By now some of them were close enough to make out and she realized that they weren't birds, they were bats. Thousands of bats! She looked at Byron in amazement.

"The Congress Avenue Bridge is home to the largest urban bat colony in North America." He told her. "Every year from March through October anywhere from seven-hundred-thousand to one-and-a-half-million Mexican free-tailed bats make their home in the framework under that bridge. You'd be surprised how effective they are at keeping the insect populating around Austin under control during the summer."

She looked back at the steady dark stream of bats still pouring out from under the bridge. Now the sculpture and his cryptic comments all made sense. It also explained why he had been so inquisitive when she had mentioned a fascination with creatures that occupied caves, including bats.

By the time they finished their meal the bats were still streaming out of the bridge. Byron told her that it could take as long as forty-five minutes for all the bats to leave the bridge. The stream had dwindled to a thin trickle by the time they finally left the restaurant.

A short time later Byron dropped Jennifer off at her hotel. She wanted to get to bed early since tomorrow would be very busy. Byron smiled all the way back to his apartment. He had managed to surprise and impress Jennifer and she had appreciated the evening's adventure.

~ BnB ~

Byron watched Jennifer as she slowly swiveled her head from side to side taking in the large university campus. She appeared neither awed nor disdainful at what she saw, only curious. Byron, however, felt a familiar tingle that always accompanied a return to his alma-mater as his gaze rose up to the iconic tower that had always represented the university.

At that moment a young woman walked up to then, stopped, consulted a slip of paper then spoke. "Byron Wyatt and Jennifer Chandler?"

Byron nodded. "That's us?"

The young woman smiled. "I'm Kira Wells with the student council." She shook hands with each of them. "I'm here to act as your liaison and show you around the campus."

"Ah, glad to meet you." Jennifer responded. "Kira is a rather unique name."

Kira shrugged with a bit of a chuckle. "Yea, I know. I was named after a weird winged creature and a roller skating muse."

Jennifer blinked. "A what?"

Kira shook her head ruefully. "It's a long story. Don't ask!"

Byron glanced over at Jennifer curiously. She obviously was not familiar with either of the movies that Kira had referenced. Maybe he could explain it to her later. Or, better yet, invite her over some time to see those movies since he had both of them in his collection. He turned his attention back to Kira and remarked with a smile. "Well young gelfling, lead the way."

Kira gave him an almost perfect double take as Jennifer looked on in confusion. Then Kira turned and led them toward the tower. She launched into her standard spiel. "Everything is bigger in Texas, as the saying goes, and The University of Texas Graduate School is one of the largest in the nation. . ." Byron was already tuning out the welcoming speech as he gazed around at familiar stomping grounds of his college days.

They spent the next couple of hours touring the university campus.

They visited many of the areas that were common for all students. They entered a large airy library building and Kira pointed out that the school's library system is the nation's fifth-largest academic library and is one of the top ten research libraries in the world. While Jennifer took it all in, Byron was remembering the many nights he had spent in this building cramming for some test or researching some class assignment.

Next they visited the Geosciences department. Jennifer was able to meet and talk to a couple of the professors in that department. One of the professors remembered Byron from when he took the basic Geology class to fill his science elective. He had done well enough to have impressed his teacher.

Their final stop was to speak with a student adviser to talk about her possible curriculum if she decided to go to this university.

~ o ~

After they left the school Byron took her over to the Capital building. As they approached the building Byron started telling her about the more unique aspects of the place. He took down into the massive underground part of the building where they had an early lunch in the cafeteria. At lunch they talked about the university and he expressed his opinions about the school (very positive).

After lunch he showed her around the Capital building. They visited The Senator's office and Byron showed her where his own desk was located off in a corner.

By mid afternoon the tour of the capital building was done. It was pretty hot out and Byron suggested that she might like to take a dip at an old swimming hole that he knew about.

They stopped at her hotel so she could change into her swimsuit. He pulled a T-shirt and swim trunks from the trunk of his car to change into while waiting for her.

~ o ~

Jennifer wasn't quite sure what to expect when they pulled into a pleasant looking park. The Building with the Barton Springs Pool sign put her in mind of a classy urban swimming pool rather than a country swimming hole that she had expected. Byron led her through the entrance, paid a few dollars then led her through to the other side of the building.

Jennifer's mouth fell open with a quiet, "Oohhh," as she stared out at the sight of a wide creek bordered by stone and concrete walkways. A gentle grassy slope led down to the creek on both sides dotted with large trees and several dozen sunbathers. There were just as many people swimming and playing in the water. If not for the concrete borders on either side of the creek it looked like a totally natural setting. "It's beautiful . . . and huge." She commented.

Byron smiled at her and responded. "The pool itself is dammed off at both ends and covers three acres." His hand swept the scene before them as he continued. "The pool is fed by three underground springs originally named after William Barton's three daughters, Parthenia, Eliza, and Zenobia. The springs keep the temperature of the pool at a nearly constant seventy degrees year round. The water upstream is diverted under the walkways so that the pool itself contains only spring water."

"You seem pretty knowledgeable." She remarked with a raised eyebrow.

Byron grinned back at her. "I've been coming here since I was a kid." He chuckled. "And last month I had to look up some information on it for The Senator."

"You . . ." She gave him a slight nudge with her hips.

He feigned nearly falling down then laughed at her momentarily panicked reaction. After a moment she joined in the laughter but threatened appropriate retribution at some future time for his little joke.

They picked a large open spot on the grassy slope and spread their blanket. Jennifer dropped her cover-up and they settled in to soak up the sun and the scenery and each other's company.

After about an hour they went into the water. Jennifer was surprised and pleased at how comfortable the water was. They slowly worked their way upstream until they reached the dam.

They spent a few minutes exploring the area around the dam while she examined, cataloged and described the geology of the rocky ground exposed at that end of the pool. Byron listened to her reeling off geological terms with an amused smile. Most of what she was saying went right over his head but she was so cute when she went into enthusiastic geologist mode.

Once she had run down they decided to swim all the way to the other end. They set off at a leisurely pace swimming side by side. They didn't talk much but there was a lot of touching and grinning at each other as they swam nonstop all the way to the dam at the other end of the pool.

Once again they explored the area around the dam before returning to their blanket for a quick snack and a little rest before going back into the water.

~ o ~

As evening approached Byron suggested dinner. They left the pool and Byron drove to another part of the park. Jennifer looked puzzled as Byron got out of the car.

She got out, looked around then inquired. "Where's dinner?"

"Right here." He responded as he opened the trunk and pulled out a large cooler.

Inside were cold drinks, cold-cut sandwiches, and a veggie with dip platter.

They stretched out on the hood with the food on a towel between them to watch the sunset and eat their picnic dinner. They talked mostly about Jennifer's impressions of the university. When the meal was finished Byron packed everything back in the trunk and they went for a short walk in the park.

By the time they got back to the car the sun had disappeared beyond the horizon and the twilight was rapidly fading from the sky.

Byron was pulling out his key when a terrible pain, the like of which he had never felt before, shot through his body. Then he thought he heard Jennifer scream his name as he felt the ground come up and smack him hard. Every nerve in his body jangled as he lay there twitching in a confused daze. The next instant he heard an almost animalistic war cry from Jennifer followed by the sounds of a very short battle.

Someone was shaking him. "Byron . . . Oh God! . . . Byron, are you alright?" He saw a blurry figure looming over him through eyes that refused to focus as he was again gently shaken. "Byron, please speak to me. Are you alright?" Slowly her worried face began to come into focus. She was talking into her Cell phone. "His eyes are open but he's not responding." He tried to respond but all he got out was a guttural grunting noise. "Just a minute, I think he said something." She leaned over him. "Byron, can you hear me? Say something." Again he tried to speak but his mouth wasn't cooperating. "He's trying to talk but it's garbled."

She continued to watch him as he slowly regained control over his body. Just about the time he was able to sit up the police showed up.

~ o ~

Bryan was sitting on a park bench near where his car was parked. He shrugged his sore shoulders. He had already learned the folly of moving his head too vigorously. His entire body still ached dully but it was getting better. The salve used by the EMT had significantly eased the stinging burn on the back of his neck. The worst pain was the lump on the side of his head.

The paramedic was busy putting away his equipment as he spoke. "Other than a few scrapes and a mild concussion, you should be just fine. However, if you should feel the return of any of the side effects you experienced tonight you should go straight to the nearest emergency room." He admonished Byron. "Also, because of that concussion you should not be alone tonight. Do you have someone to stay with you tonight?"

"I'll take care of him." Jennifer announced with a determined glint in her eye.

"Good, I'll leave him in your hands then." The EMT responded with just a hint of a smile.

Byron didn't argue. Having her staying the night at his place didn't sound at all unpleasant.

The police officer approached with a plastic baggie containing a crude looking device. "Ma'am, is this the device the perpetrator used on him?"

Jennifer nodded. "That's it. It flew out of his hand when I kicked him."

The officer nodded. "A homemade Tazer. A bit stronger and more dangerous than a commercial model." He handed the evidence bag to another officer. "This is the fourth attack by this guy in three weeks. Thanks to you we got him before he could put another young man in the hospital or rape any more girls." He made a few notes in a notebook then continued. "We will need both of you to come to the station some time tomorrow to give your statements." He handed Jennifer a card. "This is the station address and phone number." The Officer glanced over his shoulder as a police car pulled away carrying the attacker. He looked back at Byron and Jennifer, a slight smile crossing his face. "Nice work taking out that pervert, by the way." He turned and headed toward the other police cruiser as the ambulance pulled away.

Byron faced Jennifer. "Thanks . . . you saved my hide . . . again."

Jennifer looked him up and down with a lopsided half grin. "Well as hides go, it's not so bad. I think it was worth saving."

"You know this constantly saving me is getting a bit . . . ahhh, redundant. I feel like Steve Trevor, constantly being saved by Wonder Woman."

"Naw, I couldn't fill out that suit properly and I think you're much better looking than Lyle Wagner." She helped him to his still a bit shaky feet. "Come on, let's get you home. I'm driving."

~ o ~

Byron directed her to a small two bedroom house that was a few blocks from the freeway and relatively close to the Capital. The second bedroom had been turned into a combination office and library but it did have a Murphy bed built into what had been the closet.

An hour and a half later he was cleaned up and asleep in the Murphy bed while she was asleep in his bed.

An hour after that he was rousted from his sleep by her gentle hand on his shoulder and her lips kissing his. When he opened his eyes she pulled back and remarked a bit apologetically. "The EMT said I should check every hour to be sure that you would wake up." She smiled at him and told him to go back to sleep.

The same thing happened several more times that night. Oh well. Other than being awakened in the middle of the night, he really didn't see anything to complain about.

~ BnB ~

Like the other times during the night he was awakened with a kiss. "Come on sleepyhead. It's morning. Rise and Shine." She smiled at him and rose from the side of his bed. "Get up and get dressed. Breakfast will be ready in about twenty minutes." She glanced around the room with a soft smile. "This little house is absolutely charming." She smiled at him again and exited the room. At the door she looked at him over her shoulder. "Twenty minutes. Better get moving." Then she was gone but he could hear her humming from the kitchen.

Eighteen minutes later he walked into the kitchen. She was at the antique gas stove producing the most delicious smell. She glanced over at him. "Good morning. Breakfast will be ready in just a minute."

He walked up to her and peered over her shoulder. In the old iron skillet was a perfect looking omelet. Byron was impressed. Cooking on that hundred year old gas stove was a real art and she was apparently doing quite well at it. "Mmmm, that smells wonderful." He commented with a blissful smile. "Where did you learn to cook like that?"

She turned off the fire as she neatly split the omelet in half with the spatula. Then she grabbed a pot holder and lifted the pan from the stove while she responded to him. "I had two excellent teachers. One is a restaurant owner named Henry Pei. He owns one of the best Chinese restaurants in Chinatown. My other teacher was named William. He taught me on a stove very similar to this one." She split the omelet between the two plates on the small table. "Breakfast is served." Then she dropped the skillet in the sink and joined him at the table. "Where did you get this charming little house?" She inquired.

"This place originally belonged to my grandparents on my father's side. My parents inherited it. Dad and I fixed the place up and then my parents gave the place to me." He explained.

After breakfast he gave her a quick tour of his property. It consisted of the small two bedroom house that he was living in, a separate single car garage and workshop and a second larger house that faced the next street over and shared the same large back yard.

The work shop was well equipped though many of the tools were antiques. The centerpiece of the shop was a large work table that had several power tools that appeared to be home made and run by a belt from a single motor. He waved proudly at the work table. "My grandfather designed that work table and those tools. When I was a kid I used to love spending time in this workshop with him. He taught me just about everything I know about woodworking." He gazed around then almost reverently touched a homemade lathe that dominated one side of the workbench. "These power tools had deteriorated quite a bit by the time my parents inherited the place. Dad and I tore this workbench down and rebuilt it just like it had been when Grandfather first built it. Everything works." He demonstrated how the homemade power tools worked.

Next he showed her the larger house that faced the next street over. The building was only half finished on the inside. "My grandparents had a furniture repair business that they ran out of their home. They used this place for storage and upholstery work. I'm finishing it out myself as a sort of hobby project. It doesn't look like much now but in a year or two I hope to have it finished."

~ o ~

Just before lunch time they arrived at the police station and gave their statements. Byron prepared lunch for her at his house. He turned out to be a fairly decent cook. After lunch they went back to the University where Jennifer met with the dean of the Geology department. That afternoon he gave her a tour of the city while occasionally extolling the virtues of the University of Texas.

That evening he took her out to dinner and a movie at a very unusual place called The Alamo Draft House.

~ BnB ~

Early the next morning Byron took Jennifer to the airport where she caught a flight out to California, (the next leg in her tour of possible post graduate schools).

As Byron watched the plane lift off from the runway his mind played over this last few days that he and Jennifer had spent together. His eyes took on a distant unfocused look as he softly spoke the thought uppermost in his mind. "I wonder if I convinced her to choose Austin."

**_Continued in Part 4_**

* * *

'**Beauty and the Beast'** and its characters are owned by Witt-Thomas Productions and Republic Pictures. No infringement on copyrights is intended. This story is presented merely for the enjoyment of fans. Original concepts and story elements may be used by other authors as long as appropriate credit is given.


	4. Spring 2012

**The Girl and The Long Distance Romance  
**The Five Of Hearts Series  
_by Thomas Mc_

* * *

******Chapter 4 : Spring 2012**  


**Crossroad in New York**

Byron Gazed longingly at the New York Skyline from the window of the airplane. The newly risen sun created interesting patters of light and shadow across the cityscape below. In two more days it would be the first day of spring. Jennifer was on spring break and, according to her last few messages, spending it at home with the family. He could clearly make out Central Park and with very little effort he was able to spot the tiny brownstone building that was Jennifer's family home. He smiled. Soon he would be landing and shortly after that he would be at her doorstep. He had specifically timed this trip so that he would arrive on the day before her Birthday. She was definitely going to be surprised to see him.

In the brief case under the seat in front of him was a very special present he had gotten especially for her twenty-first birthday. It had taken him a lot of thought and a bit of good luck to come up with the geode pendant that he was bringing her. The geode that he had purchased from Inner Space Cavern had been sliced into a quarter inch thick wafer that was a bit over an inch in diameter. It formed a ring with the inner crystals of red blue and purple pointing inward toward the empty space in the center. In the center of the pendant was a tiny silver figure of Wonder Woman that he had found at a comic book store next to the university. A jeweler friend of The Senator had assembled the pendent and mounted it on a silver chain necklace for him.

The pilot announced that they were on final approach and would be landing soon. Next came the usual landing announcements as the plane began its final approach.

~ o ~

Byron stepped out of the terminal and looked around for a taxi. He noticed a line of them off to his left and started toward them. He was halfway to the line of taxis when the man standing beside the third one started waving at him. He puzzled over this for a moment then he recognized Jennifer's friend, Larry. As soon as he reached the line of cabs, Larry began talking as though he was here specifically to meet Byron while escorting him to his cab.

As they pulled away from the curb Byron surrendered to his curiosity. "How did you know that I was coming? I didn't tell anyone about my plans."

Larry glanced over his shoulder. "I didn't know. We aren't supposed to jump the line but we **are** allowed to pick-up fares that have called for us." He honked at a car that cut him off mumbling something unintelligible then continued speaking to Byron. "Why all the secrecy anyway?"

Byron grinned. "I wanted to surprise Jennifer for her birthday."

Larry nodded, glancing at him in the rear view mirror. "I see." For a moment Byron could have sworn that he saw a look of concern flash across Larry's eyes. "When are you planning to spring this little surprise on her?"

Byron blinked, unsure if he had seen what he thought he saw, before answering. "This afternoon. As soon as I get checked into my hotel I plan to go over to her place to personally invite her to spend an evening of dinner and dancing with me." This time he was sure that he saw relief sweep across Larry's face.

"I don't think the hotels allow you to check-in this early." Larry commented.

"Normally they don't but I called ahead and used my connections as an aid to The Senator to get a little special consideration." Byron responded a bit diffidently.

"Won't that get you into trouble?" Larry asked.

"It could but I checked with The Senator beforehand and he said that I could this time since it was for a 'good cause'.

~ o ~

Byron came out of his hotel after having checked in to his room to find Larry waiting for him. "Where do you want to go next?" Larry inquired.

"I'm hungry. Are there any good places to eat around here?" Byron inquired.

Larry thought a moment before responding. "There's a really good seafood place just ten blocks from here."

Byron smiled. "Sounds great." He stepped into the back of the cab as Larry got into the driver's seat. "How about joining me for lunch? I'll pay." He inquired as the cab pulled away from the hotel.

"I would be happy to join you." Larry replied. "But you don't need to pay for me."

"It's the least I can do since I notice that you haven't turned on the meter." Byron responded.

Soon they were seated at the seafood restaurant enjoying a nice leisurely meal. "By the way you know this city pretty well don't you." Byron inquired.

"I think so." Larry responded. "Why do you ask?" He reached for his tea.

"I just wondered if you knew of a place called The Tunnels?" He inquired innocently

The next instant Larry was choking on his drink. Byron reacted with concern asking Larry if he was alright. After Larry finally got himself more or less under control he inquired in a slightly higher than normal voice. "The tunnels?"

Watching Larry worriedly Byron responded. "Yea, Jennifer had mentioned that she would be having lunch with family and friends at some out of the way place today." He shrugged. "I overheard something about a place called 'The Tunnels'. I had originally planned to surprise her at this Tunnels place, but when I tried looking it up on line I couldn't find any listing for it."

Larry shook his head. "I've never heard of a restaurant called The Tunnels."

Byron shrugged and they went on to other subjects. In the back of his mind he continued to think about the tunnels reference. He knew that Jennifer was interested in caves and their geology. He had promised to take her to Inner Space Caverns the next time she was in Austin. Maybe she was referring to some cavern near New York with a restaurant like the one in Carlsbad Cavern. He also wondered why the mention of it had caused such a surprised reaction in Larry.

Eventually the conversation came around to how Byron had met Jennifer and he told the story of his first encounter with her. Then he asked how Larry knew Jennifer.

Larry thought a moment before responding. "My dad, my sister and I ended up trapped under the rubble with several others during the 9-11 terrorist attack. Ja . . . ah, Jennifer was with the people that found and rescued us. My family and her family have been close friends ever since."

Byron nodded. "I get the impression that a lot of the family connections date back to those attacks. I suppose the shared tragedy brought a lot of people together that day."

~ o ~

They finally left the restaurant around one. Byron called Jennifer as the cab pulled onto Central Park West just a couple of blocks from her place.

"Hello?" She answered.

"Hello Jennifer, how's it going with you?"

"Byron! I'm great." She replied. "Whatca up to?"

"Oh, I'm just riding in a friend's car." He responded. "What are you doing?"

She paused a moment. "I'm just chilling out at home with the family."

Byron smiled. "Any plans for this evening?" He asked as the cab came to a stop in front of her home.

She responded, her voice full of curiosity. "Not really . . . why?"

There was a hint of suspicion in her voice on that last word.

Byron smiled to himself. "Just wondering . . . I gotta go we've just reached our destination."

Byron heard a spate of muffled words then she was back. "OK, I'll talk to you later. Bye."

Byron hung up then got out of the taxi. He leaned toward Larry's open window. "Thanks a lot for the ride and I enjoyed the company for lunch."

"Think nothing of it." Larry responded. "I'll just wait here for you two to come back out."

"I was just going to take her for a carriage ride in the park." Byron responded.

"That's OK. I'll take you to the best place to pick up a carriage."

"Thanks." Byron turned and started up the steps.

He pressed the doorbell and after a longer than expected wait, Jennifer opened the door looking flushed and a bit out of breath. "Byron! What are you doing here? You didn't tell me you were coming to New York."

Byron grinned back at her, his eyes full of mischief. "Just came by to surprise you and take you out on the town for your birthday."

Jennifer glanced over her shoulder. "Won't you come in?" She glanced down at her very casual sweat suit. "Where are we going?"

The sparkle in his eyes increased. "It's a surprise."

She cocked her head a bit. "How should I dress?"

His gaze traveled over her length. "I think you look great just as you are but, for today, I would suggest nice but cool."

"It'll take me just a minute to change." She directed Byron over to the sofa group where her mother and two sisters were sitting then ran up the spiral staircase.

"Hello, Byron." Catherine remarked. "We didn't know you would be in town this week." There was a hint of uncertainty on her face.

"I just wanted to surprise Jennifer for her birthday." Byron responded.

"Well you certainly managed to surprise everyone." Brigit remarked with a frown and what, Byron though, was a slightly acerbic tone of voice.

Nancy nudged her sister. "Don't pay her no mind. Brigit is just a bit down on boy's right now."

Byron gave Brigit an understanding half smile. "The boy didn't appreciate her special gifts?"

Brigit crossed her arms and frowned. Nancy nodded with a shrug.

Byron shrugged. "His loss." His expression softened. "He has no idea what he's missing. Someday you'll find a guy who appreciates you for who you really are." He chuckled. "If my brothers weren't too old and already married I'd try setting you up with one of them." He shrugged. "They would appreciate a girl that can take care of herself."

"So, how long are you going to be in town?" Nancy inquired.

"Just a couple of days." Byron answered. "My flight back leaves on the morning of the twenty-first."

"So you'll be here for her birthday tomorrow." Catherine remarked, her brows furrowed.

"Yea . . ." He responded with a half shrug. "But I don't want to interfere with any family birthday plans. That's why I came in today. She had told me that she had nothing planned for today so here I am. I'm also hoping that if she's got any free time tomorrow she might be willing to spend that free time with me."

Jennifer came clattering quickly down the stairs. She had changed into a light but elegant summer dress that showed her curves to best advantage, perfect for the day he had planned. Her hair was pulled back into a pony tail. "I'm ready." She announced.

As they reached the front door Catherine called out. "You two have a good time."

"We will." Jennifer called back with a smile as they exited.

Jennifer closed the front door then threw her arms around Byron's neck and smiled up at him. "It's good to see you." She pulled him in for a kiss.

Byron pulled back a bit. "I've missed you." He murmured then they were kissing again.

They broke from the kiss and headed down the steps to the waiting taxi.

~ o ~

A short time later Larry dropped Byron and Jennifer off next to a line of horse drawn carriages, waved goodbye then drove off.

Byron and Jennifer turned together arm in arm and walked toward the carriages. Byron spotted a familiar face and waving made for the carriage she was sitting in. "Charlie!" He called out. "Interested on taking a young couple on a romantic ride for her birthday?"

Charlie smiled back at them. "I think I can manage that." Her grin widened. "Climb aboard and we'll see what I can arrange."

A quick negotiation of price and the two of them climbed into Charlie's carriage. Charlie glanced over her shoulder at them and grinned. "Happy birthday, Jennifer."

"Thank you." Jennifer replied.

Byron put his arm around Jennifer's shoulder as the carriage pulled away. A few minutes later Jennifer rested her head on Byron's shoulder as the carriage wended its way through the tree covered lanes of the park. After about an hour Charlie pulled over at a spot with a particularly romantic view. She glanced back at the two in her carriage. "Harry's getting a bit up there in years. I think I'll stop here and give him a few minutes to rest." She grinned teasingly at them as she climbed down from the driver's seat. She looped the reigns around the back of a park bench then petted the horse.

Byron and Jennifer grinned at each other then leaned in for a kiss with some serious passion behind it. When they separated they sat back and looked out at the rather romantic view Charlie had found for them. They both noticed that Charlie seemed to have disappeared. Soon Jennifer's head was on Byron's shoulder and his head was resting on top of hers. He placed a couple of light kisses on the top of her head. She sighed and cuddled in even closer against his side, his fingers traced lazy circles on her shoulder.

After a few minutes Byron turned toward Jennifer. "I have something for you." He pulled a slim package out of his pocket and handed it to her. "Happy Birthday, Jennifer."

Her eyes lit up at the sight of the brightly colored wrapping paper. Then she tore into the package. She pulled the geode pendent from the padding and her smile was like the sun coming out and the humor virtually danced in her eyes. "Oh, Byron, I love it!" She exclaimed. She grinned as she examined the tiny Wonder Woman figure. "It's beautiful." Then she handed it to Byron. "Put it on me."

Byron did as requested and finished off the operation with a lingering kiss. As he pulled back he spoke softly. "I love you, Jennifer." He cocked his head. "You are my Wonder Woman."

She put her arms around his neck and returned the kiss. Then she spoke just as softly. "I love you too, Byron." She placed a hand over the pendant. "Thank you."

After a few seconds they both heard the horse make a snorting sound. They looked over to see Charlie holding the reigns and grinning. Charlie gave Harry another pat then climbed back into the driver's seat and rearranged the reigns. Jennifer showed Charlie the new necklace.

Charlie looked closer at it then broke out into a huge grin. There was a hint of merriment in her eyes. "Oh, Jennifer, that is so you." Charlie remarked. "I love it." She turned her attention to Byron. "Where to next?"

Byron gave her the name of a popular club near the park. Jennifer and Charlie were both surprised and impressed by the name of the well known and very exclusive club.

"That place is pretty hard to get into." Charlie commented.

Byron smiled as he responded. "I have a friend with pull." A few weeks ago he had asked The Senator if he knew someone in New York (not in the DA office) that could recommend a good place for dinner and dancing. The Senator's friend had recommended that particular night club and had also used his influence to obtain hard to get reservations for Byron.

Charlie pulled right up behind a fancy limousine to let them off right at the front door. Byron handed her the agreed upon fare with a generous tip. Charlie told him to call her when they were ready to leave and she would pick them up. Byron gave the bouncer his name. The man checked his list then he let Byron and Jennifer go right in. Charlie raised an eyebrow at such special service as she pulled away from the entrance to make room for another arriving limousine.

Byron and Jennifer were shown to a nice table near the dance floor and handed their menus. A few minutes later the waiter brought their drinks and took their appetizer order. The music was supplied by a live band that Byron had never heard of but Jennifer told him that they were fairly popular in New York.

Byron spoke. "The last time I talked to you, you were still trying to decide between Texas and California for post grad."

Jennifer cocked her head. "Both have accepted me but I still haven't chosen." She glanced down at the table a moment then looked into his eyes with a tentative smile. "But at present, Texas has a slight lead over California."

"I guess I'll just have to work a little harder to convince you." Byron responded with a grin. "I find that e-mails, text messages, phone calls and occasional visits just aren't enough anymore." He cocked his head. "I want to be with you all the time." He felt the heat of a blush as he continued. "I care about you more than I knew was possible." He glanced down at the table as he felt a lump in his throat then he popped up from his seat and held out his hand to her. "Would you care to dance?"

She smiled back. "I would love to." She took his hand and he led her out to the dance floor.

Soon they were in each other's arms swaying to a romantic ballad. Byron felt like Jennifer was right where she belonged, in his arms, as he felt her snuggle a bit closer. The song ended and he felt a tinge of disappointment as she pulled away. He looked down into her eyes and felt a warm tingle pass through him at the way they sparkled with emotion. This had gone beyond even a casual romance. He wanted so much more; he wanted it all; he wanted . . . forever after. The realization hit him like a two-by-four between the eyes.

He saw a welling of deep emotion in her eyes as another slow romantic song began. He pulled her in close as they began to move together to the music. Then too soon that song ended.

Almost reluctantly they left the dance floor. They arrived back at their table just as the appetizer arrived along with the waiter ready to take their order.

After they finished the appetizer they returned to the dance floor. This time the music was a little more energetic. As a young teen Byron had taken a year of dancing lessons at his mother's insistence and now those lessons were paying off. Jennifer turned out to be an excellent dance partner. They soon lost themselves in the fun of whirling around the floor. They returned to their table when Jennifer noticed that their meal had arrived.

The rest of the meal went by in a sort of hazy blur. He knew that he was enjoying the food but that barely seemed to register. They ate and engaged in small talk broken by many contemplative silences and longing gazes. Byron could also tell that she had something very weighty on her mind.

At one point he was drawn out of his contented glow when he caught Jennifer gazing back at him as though studying his face, looking for something. Finally she looked him straight in the eye and spoke. "Byron . . . where do you see this thing between us going?" The look on her face told him that this was important and she wanted a serious honest answer.

Momentarily taken aback by her question, he leaned back and looked deep into her eyes as he considered how to answer. He decided the best response would be the absolute truth. ""I'm not really sure but I find myself hoping that we . . . I think there is a good possibility that this could go all the way." He answered her seriously. "I care for you more than I have ever cared about anyone before. And I want more . . . I want you . . . I want it all, for life." He took a deep breath. "What do **you** want?"

The simmer of strong emotion was back in her eyes. "I'm . . . There is . . . I don't . . . This is so complicated, I don't know . . . I just know that I don't want to lose you." She looked down at the table. "There are so many things that I have to consider if we are to become that serious."

The rest of the dinner proceeded in silence broken by occasional comments. Byron could see that there was some kind of internal debate going on inside her.

Their dinner finally consumed, the waiter asked if they wanted desert. They both said no and a minute later the waiter returned with their bill. The total was steep but Byron had expected that and handed over his credit card. After the waiter left Byron again invited Jennifer to dance.

The second song was another slow romantic ballad and they swayed to the rhythm, deep in each other's embrace. Halfway through the song Byron felt Jennifer pull away then he noticed the unusually serious look on her face. "Jennifer, is there something wrong

They stood there an isolated island in the center of the dance floor. Jennifer looked down a moment collecting her thoughts then looked up at Byron. "You remember how you told me what you wanted out of this relationship?" He nodded. "I want more, too." She took a deep breath and sighed. "But there are things about me that you don't know; things that I must tell you before we can go any further; things that could change how you feel about me."

He blinked as his mind tried to fill in the blanks. Feeling a need to lighten the mood, he came out with the first thing that crossed his mind. "Are you about to tell me that you lead a secret life as a super hero?"

A hint of amusement flashed across her face then her serious look returned as she took his hands in hers. "No, I'm not a closet super hero . . . but . . . my, ahh, uniqueness is a large part of it." She took another deep breath. "All the things that make me different, as well as all my siblings, come from my father." She paused to let him absorb her statement. "Yes, we all know who our father is. I also have two brothers that nobody knows about. With the exception of Naomi we all have the same mother and father."

Byron stared back at her as he processed this revelation. It was gratifying to have her confirm some of what he had suspected for a long time now. He had already guessed the part about the father but the idea that there were two brothers was a surprise. "But, why all the secrecy?"

She spoke a bit hesitantly. "Besides the enhanced strength and speed, Dad also has sharper senses and he is an empath . . . but . . . the most obvious difference is his physical appearance. His appearance can be very frightening to some. Both of my brothers look just like him. If their existence became known they would never be safe so we keep them a secret." She took another deep breath as her face became anxious. "Before we can go any further I think you should meet them . . . then you will have to decide if you really want to take this any further."

Byron looked into her anxious face a second then squeezed her hand and responded. "I don't think it could possibly change the way I feel about you but if that is what you want then I would be happy to meet your father."

She gave him a half hearted smile. "Let me give them a call and let them know that we are coming then we can leave."

They returned to their table. Byron called the number Charlie had given him and told her that they would be leaving shortly. After hanging up he dealt with the charge slip. Meanwhile Jennifer grabbed the phone from her purse and called home. After a few quick words, she hung up.

Jennifer looked at him with a hint of uncertainty. "They're expecting us."

By the time they arrived at the front of the club they found Charlie there waiting for them. They climbed in and Jennifer spoke. "Take us home, Charlie."

Charlie took in the words and the looks on their faces and one eyebrow rose as she responded. "As you wish." Then she pulled away from the curb.

~ o ~

By the time they reached the brownstone Byron's curiosity was running rampant. He had asked Jennifer what she meant by 'different and frightening' when referring to her father's appearance but her answers were evasive and she seemed a lot more nervous than he had ever seen her.

"It's difficult to describe him without sounding foolish or flat out crazy." She had finally responded to his multiple queries.

She had looked him solemnly in the eyes speaking softly. "You will just have to see him for yourself and make up your own mind about him." She took a deep breath. "All I ask is that you not rush to judgment. Just take a little time to get to know him before you make up your mind."

"I promise to keep an open mind, Jennifer." He glanced up.

"Here we are." Charlie announced.

Byron and Jennifer stepped out of the carriage. They both faced Charlie and Jennifer smiled up at her. "Thank-you for the ride, Charlie. We both enjoyed it."

"You're welcome and good-luck." Charlie cocked her head looking straight at Byron. "I think you'll like Vincent once you get to know him." Then she pulled away as the couple turned ant stepped toward Byron knew not what.

~ o ~

As they stepped into the brownstone Jennifer called out. "Mom, I'm home!"

Catherine stepped out from the back part of the place and smiled at them. "Byron, come in; sit down and get comfortable."

Byron stepped forward a bit nervously. "Hello, Ms Chandler. It's nice to see you again." He settled into the sofa where Catherine had indicated.

"Jennifer told me that she wanted to introduce you to my husband." Catherine remarked as she took a seat opposite him.

"Yes, ma'am." He responded as Jennifer sat down next to him, her thigh touching his. He glanced over at her then continued. "I must say what little she has told me has certainly got me curious."

Catherine nodded. "Although his appearance can be startling, I hope you will give him a chance." She looked off to her right toward the back of the house and called out. "Vincent, are you coming out?"

A deep, soft, very masculine voice responded from the back. "I'll be out in just a moment."

Byron gazed curiously toward the direction of the voice. A few seconds later a massive apparition stepped through the same doorway that Catherine had come from just a couple of minutes before. The next second the image truly registered in Byron's startled mind and his heart rate shot up as his fear exploded. The next few seconds were a total chaotic blur.

~ o ~

Vincent, Catherine and Jennifer all stared in stunned silence at the open front door. Only the sounds of squealing tires and honking horns marked the probable passage of Byron. A couple of tears rolled down Jennifer's cheek as she looked over at her father then back at the open front door.

Vincent's face fell as his gaze shifted to his distraught daughter.

Catherine blinked then shook her head as she quickly walked over to the door and closed it.

Jennifer turned toward her father as more tears began to fall. He quickly stepped forward and took her into his arms. "I am so sorry Pumpkin." He murmured softly.

Catherine joined them putting her arms around both Vincent and Jennifer. After a second Catherin looked sympathetically at her daughter then up at Vincent then she sighed and remarked quietly. "Well that could have gone better."

Jennifer buried her head in her father's chest. "I've lost him . . . what am I going to do?" She started to cry softly.

Vincent frowned introspectively for several seconds then shook his head. He took hold of Jennifer's shoulders and held her out then with one finger under her chin, gently brought her head up so he could look her in the eye. "That was not just fear or shock or any of the usual reactions I've encountered." He took a deep breath. "That young man was in a blind unreasoning panic." He glanced over at Catherine. "His fear and panic was so strong it was almost like a physical blow. I have felt fear and panic before but I have never encountered anything this strong. There is more going on with him than simple fear of my appearance." He took another deep calming breath then took Jennifer's hands into his own. "He's not really rational right now." He glanced at the darkened front windows. "I think we should go out there and try to find him before anything bad happens to him."

Jennifer gazed hopelessly back at Vincent. "But how will we find him and what do I say to him when we do?"

Vincent gave her a half smile. "He left here going in a straight line. You and I are both faster than he is and his panic is so strong that I can still sense him. We should have no trouble finding him." He touched her cheek wiping away the tear tracks. "Then it will be up to you to find out what happened and decide if your relationship can be salvaged." He started toward the door with Jennifer right behind him.

At the door he grabbed the dark hooded cloak from the old fashion coat rack beside the door. Whipping the cloak around himself he opened the door and took a quick glance up and down the still busy street in front of their brownstone. He looked back at Catherine and took a quick breath. "We'll be back as soon as we can. Come on Jennifer, we must move quickly."

He shot out the door and across the street at inhuman speed with his daughter right behind him with only a couple of short squeals of panic breaking to mark their passage.

With a sigh Catherine closed the door and rested her forehead against the wood panel. Her girls had enough problems with the way boys reacted to their enhanced strength. How would this fiasco affect Jennifer? She was also worried about Vincent. Despite his calm words of assurance and understanding she had felt how much the boy's reaction had bothered him.

~ o ~

Byron had finally stopped running and stood for a minute, his heart pounding like a drum and his breath coming in ragged gasps. Never in his life had he run so hard before. His mind seemed to be in such turmoil that he was unable to think coherently. He glanced around at the trees and the walking path and the bench next to him beside the path. Just then his knees began to buckle and he flopped bonelessly into the bench as he continued to try dragging in great gasps of air.

Eventually he got his ragged breathing under control though his heart continued to pound. After another quick glance around Byron decided that he must be somewhere in Central Park although he wasn't sure just where in the park he was.

Despite the vestiges of fear still coursing through him, his mind returned reluctantly to what had just happened and his heart rate jumped. That final image seemed to be burned indelibly in his mind. A second image of a lion roaring phased in and out with the other image and the ghost of old pain haunted him. He dropped his face into his hands as he fought to force the rising panic back down. What had just happened? Why had they done that to him? Did they know? For several minutes he sat there with his head in his hands as the same images and questions circulated endlessly in his mind. Then he remembered the way Jennifer had fought those three potential rapists two summers ago. He pictured the feral look in her face just before the fight, the barely exaggerated canines, her speed and strength. Could that really have been Jennifer's father?

"Byron?" The tentative voice interrupted him.

Byron's head jerked up to see Jennifer and his heart rate accelerated as he looked fearfully around. He saw no one else near by and his panic began to subside a bit. "How did you find me so soon?"

Jennifer rolled her eyes. "I'm a lot faster than you and you were broadcasting panic like a flashing beacon."

"Broadcasting?" He responded with a lack of understanding. The last half of her statement had made no sense.

She took a cautious step toward him. "Remember me telling you that my father is an empath. He could sense your emotions. That is how we found you."

Panic again rose as Byron looked around for the apparition. "Where is he?"

"He thought it might be better if I approached you alone." She answered evasively. Her father was nearby but well out of sight.

Byron again glanced nervously around. "Why that mask?"

Jennifer took a deep breath and let it out with a sigh. "That was not a mask, Byron." She glanced down at her feet a moment then pulled herself up straight, squared her shoulders and looked Byron straight in the eye. "That is my father's true appearance. I warned you he was unusual, even a bit scary looking. I get my strength and speed from him. I also have two brothers that look a lot like him." She saw a flash of surprise and disbelief flash across his face then he opened his mouth but she jumped in before he could say anything. "And before you ask, despite his appearance his is human. Otherwise he couldn't have had five children with my mother."

Byron's mouth snapped shut. She had known exactly what he had been about to ask. After a moment of strained silence he finally got up the nerve to ask the other question that occurred to him. "What about your children? Will they . . ." He couldn't quite bring himself to ask.

Jennifer looked down again and her shoulders slumped just a bit. "We . . . ahh, we don't really know." She paused a moment to collect her thoughts then took another deep breath. "So far, with the exception of speed and strength, my sisters and I have all favored Mother and the boys have favored Dad. As for myself and my sisters, we don't really know which other of Dad's genetic traits we might be carrying. For all we know it is possible that some of my children could inherit Dad's lion-like features."

For several seconds silence held sway as they both pondered what had been said. Finally Jennifer broke the silence. "What about you?"

He looked up at her. "What?"

She cocked her head. "What about you? Why did you react like that?"

Byron shrugged. "He surprised me. I panicked."

Jennifer shook her head and exasperation flashed across her face at his blatant lie. "Nu,uh. I don't buy it. Dad said that it was a lot more than just a little surprise or fright. Dad is an empath, remember. He could feel your emotions. That was full out balls to the walls, unreasoning panic. Dad said that he had never sensed anything that powerful in his life and with his looks he has frightened more than his fair share of people." She crossed her arms. "So tell me, why he frightened you so badly?"

The silence stretched as she stared at him while he fidgeted.

Byron finally released a deep resigned sigh. He unbuttoned his shirt and pulled it open to reveal his chest. Across his exposed skin she could clearly see three very prominent scars that started at his right collar bone near the shoulder and extended diagonally across and down to disappear behind his shirt near the bottom of his ribs a hair left of center. Jennifer emitted a startled gasp of surprise and pain as she realized what she was looking at.

After a moment she rushed over and sat on the bench next to him. She tentatively reached out to touch the scars. She gently traced them with her fingers following them to where they ended on the left side of his abdomen. She then looked up into his sorrowful eyes, her own beginning to fill with tears. "What happened?"

Byron looked down at where her fingers still touched his skin sending a warm tingle through him. Her touch seemed to make his fear and nervousness fade. He took a deep calming breath then looked up into her eyes. Finally he spoke. "I was seven, in second grade. It was a class field trip to the zoo and we were in the big cats section." He paused to collect his thoughts. "The teacher had turned to deal with two other boys that were rough-housing and I slipped under the railing to get a closer look at the lion cub near the bars. The adult lion took exception and took a swipe at me through the bars." Again he stopped to collect his thoughts. "They got to me in plenty of time but the claw marks became inflamed and developed a serious infection. I spent a couple of very painful months in the hospital fighting for my life." Another pause and glance down at where her hand still touched him. "The scaring is more severe as a result of the infection."

Suddenly she understood. "That's terrible." She brought her had up to touch his cheek. "That's why you reacted so strongly when you saw my father. If I had known . . ."

Byron dropped his gaze. "I guess I've blown it, haven't I?"

Jennifer slipped her hand under his chin and gently urged him to look up at her. "Not necessarily."

"But your father . . . even if he was willing . . . I don't, I don't know if I could bring myself to face him." He swallowed hard. "Just the idea of facing him scares the hell out of me."

"What about us?" She asked him as she placed a hand on either side of his face. "How do you feel about me, now that you know everything? Do you still want to try to make things work between us?"

He looked deep into her eyes. "I love you, Jennifer but how can it work if I bolt for the hills whenever your father enters the room?"

"My father understands." She responded. "Maybe now that you know what to expect you could try again. Dad is really a very nice understanding person."

Byron shook his head. "I don't know if I can."

Jennifer knew that Vincent was already heading back to the brownstone. "Will you at least try . . . for me?" She pleaded in her sexiest voice. "I'll be right there beside you."

Byron hesitated. He reached up and placed his hand over hers then with a deep sigh he responded. "OK, I'll . . . I'll try."

Jennifer smiled and stood up. "Good." She grabbed his hand and pulled him to his feet. "Let's go now before you can change your mind."

With Byron's hand firmly clasped in hers they headed back across the park. Byron wasn't really sure that he would have been able to return to that brownstone otherwise.

~ o ~

Jennifer could feel Byron's hesitation as they started up the steps of the brownstone. She gave his hand an encouraging squeeze. "You'll be fine. I'm right here with you." She reached out toward the door then a frown crossed her face and she paused. She looked at Byron for about a second then momentarily tightened her grip and gave him a sympathetic half smile. "You'll be alright, Byron. I promise you that no one here will harm you."

As the door opened Byron could feel his heart rate increase. Again Jennifer gave him an encouraging nudge. He fought down the urge to run and followed Jennifer into the lion's den.

The first thing Byron noticed as they entered the home was the tableau in the sofa group at the center of the parlor. Jennifer's mother sat in the love seat that faced the front door and beside her sat the powerful fearsome lion-man, ('Jennifer's father,' Byron reminded himself.) The lion-man had his arm stretched across the back of the love seat and resting against Catherine's back. The claws on the end of his fur covered fingers were clearly visible where his hand closed around Catherine's shoulder. Catherine's head was resting against the lion-man's shoulder.

Byron fought down the almost overwhelming urge to run as his already pounding heart rate increased even more at the sight. He forced his attention to the face of Catherine Chandler. There was no hint of fear or concern there, only contented affection. He screwed up his courage and reluctantly let Jennifer draw him closer to the object of his fear. He felt like all the solid sensible realities of his world had become like shifting quicksand. One false step and he would sink into a quagmire of impossibility and fear.

Catherine leaned forward as they approached. "Welcome back Byron." A solemn look crossed her face. "Did you have a nice run?" Her words hinted of sarcasm but her tone had elements of compassion and concern mixed in it.

Byron knew that he needed to respond but his mind was clouded by the barely contained panic that was threatening to break loose at any instant. Knowing the roots of his fear only went so far. The irrational part of his mind was still gibbering in panic at the apparition before him.

Byron's gaze slid back to the face of Jennifer's father. For the first time he noticed that the creature's eyes. They were the same startling blue color as Jennifer's and there was a look of understanding compassion in them. It made the seemingly impossible just a little more solid. His mind latched onto that one element for the sense of stability it gave him.

He realized that it was up to him to make the first overture in this uncertain situation. Gathering up his courage, he opened his mouth to speak with no real idea what he was going to say. "I . . . ahhh . . . I guess I, ahh . . . I owe you an apology . . . for my, ahh . . . for my rude behavior a little while ago." He looked down at Jennifer's hand clasped in his drawing more courage from it. "I know that I should explain myself . . ."

"We already know about what happened to you." Catherine interrupted.

Byron's head snapped up at this surprising remark.

The lion-man jumped in. "When Jennifer and I found you in the park I decided it would be best to remain out of sight and let Jennifer handle this in her own way but I was close enough to hear what you told her."

Catherine took over. "Vincent returned several minutes before you two came back and told me about what you revealed to Jennifer." She glanced over at Vincent.

"The question now is; where do we go from here?" Vincent asked as he looked Byron in the eyes.

Fighting the almost overpowering urge to run, Byron returned Vincent's gaze. "I . . ." His voice faltered. Byron took a deep breath and tried again. "Right now it's taking every thing I have not to run for that door. . ." His eyes dropped then he tightened his grip on Jennifer's hand and swallowed. He looked over at her and caught her eye, getting a barely perceptible nod of reassurance. He looked back at Catherine. "But I love Jennifer and . . . " He glanced again at Jennifer. ". . . and it's my feelings for her that are keeping me here right now." He turned back to face Vincent and Catherine. "I don't know if I can ever beat this fear I have but for her I'm willing to try."

There was several seconds of silence and Byron found himself fighting the urge to fidget under Vincent's gaze.

Finally Vincent spoke. "My daughter has already told you that part of being what I am includes the ability to feel the emotions of others in the room. So I really do know just how strong your fear is and I know how much courage it is taking for you to remain this close to me." He paused glancing over at Catherine. "Whether you can work things out with Jennifer is between you and her. I will not stand in your way." Vincent's eyes shifted to Jennifer. "All I ask is that you be honest with my daughter."

"Yes, Sir." Byron nodded.

Vincent glanced over at Catherine. "I suspect that you two have a lot to talk about." He stood up and Byron's heart rate jumped. Vincent took Catherine's hand. "Let's retire upstairs and give them a little privacy to sort things out." Catherine stood and she and Vincent headed up the great spiral stairs.

Byron felt a perceptible drop in his fear as Jennifer's parents disappeared up the stairs though he was still feeling a significant amount of anxiety.

Jennifer was looking closely at Byron for several heartbeats then nodded her head. "You're still uncomfortable in here aren't you." It was more statement than question.

Byron nodded, his eyes straying over to the stairs.

Jennifer stood up. "Come on, lets go for a walk." She pulled Byron toward the door.

~ o ~

For the last ten minutes Byron and Jennifer had been walking along the park border in silence. Both of them were deep in their own thoughts.

Finally Byron broke the silence that had engulfed them. "Jennifer, I'm sorry for the way I behaved back there. I can't even really explain what it was like for me. I don't want to lose you but I just don't know if I can change how I am."

"I understand much better than you might think." Jennifer stopped and Byron turned to face her. "You already understand that I am different from the average girl. I have a twin brother named Jacob. He looks just like dad. He is also an empath like dad." She held up her hand when he started to speak. "My brother and I are much closer than your average set of twins. We have a link that allows us to sense each other's feelings no matter where we are." She paused to let it sink in. She could see the wheels turning in his brain as he put various hints and clues togeather then continued. "Jacob was upstairs and, like my father, was sensing your emotions. I was also sensing them through my link with Jacob so I really do know how strong the fear you were fighting is and I know how hard it was for you to face my father the way you did."

Byron looked back at her in surprise. "You know what I'm feeling?!"

Jennifer shook her head. "Not now I don't." She shrugged. "I could only do it if you are close enough to Jacob for him to sense you. The point is that I really do understand what you were going through back there in our home. My whole family knows through my father and brothers."

Byron thought about what she had said for several heartbeats before responding. "Your family is certainly full of surprises." His brows furrowed as he thought about the 'link' she had mentioned. "What about that link with your brother?"

Now Jennifer paused as she found herself wondering how hard this aspect would be for him to deal with. Would this be the final straw that drives him away? She knew that in spite of that possibility, if they were to have any chance of making a go of it, they would both have to be honest with each other. Drawing on a bit of courage herself, she answered his query. "Do you remember that night on your hotel room balcony when I got so carried away?"

Byron nodded. The events of that night were permanently etched into his memory. He often found himself wondering what had really happened that night.

"That night I was feeling very strongly attracted to you. Jacob was with his fiancé and they were getting very . . . ahh . . . amorous at about the same time. He had not really put much thought or effort into blocking and some of his feelings were leaking through the link we share. The combination of my emotions and what I was getting from Jacob kinda pushed me over the edge so to speak. When you pulled away from me I realized what was happening. I got so embarrassed that I ran for the rest room." She shrugged. "Jacob and I can block our emotions from each other but it requires active effort and sometimes the barrier . . . leaks. As it is Jacob and I will always have some idea how the other is feeling. Also if one of us experiences an exceptionally strong emotion and doesn't adequately block it, it will have an effect on the other. That's just one of the things you will have to deal with if we are together."

Byron continued walking in silence as he mulled over what she had just told him. Jennifer walked beside him, a worried frown on her face, quietly respecting his silence. Byron was beginning to realize just how difficult maintaining a serious relationship with Jennifer could be. And he was fairly sure that he still didn't know all the factors that might pop up unexpectedly. When he had flown to New York this time he had been flirting with thoughts of marriage. Now he was having doubts.

As the silence stretched out Jennifer's frown deepened.

Byron stopped and faced her. He took hold of her shoulders turning her to face him. "Jennifer, I admit that there is an awful lot for me to deal with here and I . . . I don't honestly know if I will be able to handle it all." He looked down and sighed. "It's going to take time for me to come to terms with all of this . . . if I can." He looked back up into her eyes. "All I can ask is that you not give up on me just yet."

Jennifer looked back into his eyes, hers brimming with moisture. "I don't give up that easily."

After a second they both simultaneously pulled the other into a hug. Each was clinging to the other for some stability in what had become a very uncertain future. Byron closed his eyes, letting her warmth soak into him.

Finally they pulled back slightly and Jennifer looked up into Byron's face. He kissed her forehead. "It's getting late, I seem to feel a bit drained, and I have a lot to think about. I should get back to my hotel."

Jennifer nodded. "Where are you staying?" Byron told her and she nodded. "That's really not that far from here. Why don't we walk?"

"OK." Byron replied.

Together they turned toward his hotel and continued walking. Ten minutes later they stopped before his hotel. There were a couple of moments of awkward silence between them.

Jennifer was the first to speak. "Well, good night, Byron."

The couple exchanged a chaste, slightly awkward, kiss then Byron responded. "Good night, Jennifer."

They separated, holding hands just a moment longer. Then Byron headed into the hotel while Jennifer turned and headed toward her home. Just before he passed through the doors, Byron paused and glanced back just in time to see Jennifer looking back at him. They both smiled then continued on.

Byron spent a restless night between mulling over everything that had happened that evening and the disturbing images that wandered through his mind and his dreams.

~ BnB ~

Byron was approaching Jennifer with a feeling of foreboding. She was standing beside a cradle gazing down into it. She looked up and smiled at him. "Byron come look at my son." Fearfully he looked down to see a small lion laying there. Suddenly it sprang up and took a swipe at him, its claws raking across his chest leaving behind deep bloody gashes. He woke to the sound of his own scream.

He sat there for several seconds, his heart pounding and his breath coming in ragged gasps. Finally he fell back and lay there slowly regaining control. He glanced at the clock. **1:26 AM**. Over an hour later he finally fell into a fitful sleep.

~ o ~

The wakeup call disturbed him out of another unnerving dream where he had been cuddling with Jennifer only to be surprised by the feel of fur on her arms and the prick of something sharp where her hands were touching him. He had looked into her face to find that it had become strongly feline like her father. Then the shrill ring of the phone had awakened him.

His heart was pounding and his bed was soaked with sweat as he slowly dragged himself up from the sleep induced haze to take in his surroundings. Finally he grabbed the phone to acknowledge the wakeup call.

He went into the bathroom and took a long hot shower as he tried to bring some kind of order to his chaotic mind. An hour later he was dressed, freshly groomed and sitting on the edge of his bed trying to decide what to do next. The phone rang, startling him. By the fourth ring he managed to settle his nerves enough to answer the phone without fumbling it. "Hello?"

"Byron, it's Jennifer. I was thinking I might come over to have breakfast with you . . . if you feel up to it."

Byron took a deep breath. "Sure . . . that would be nice. Ahh, how about I meet you in the lobby?"

"That sounds great. I'll be there in five minutes."

"OK. See you there." Byron hung up.

Byron thought that she must be calling from somewhere close by if she would be there that fast. A couple of minutes later he entered the lobby to see Jennifer already there waiting.

She approached him a bit tentatively. "Hi."

"Hi." He responded after a short uncomfortable silence he continued. "Where would you like to go for breakfast?"

Her expression lost some of its uncertainty. "There's a pretty good pancake house just around the corner."

He nodded. "Sounds great." He offered his arm and they headed out of the hotel.

The walk to the pancake place was relatively silent, neither of them quite sure what to say.

Finally Byron broke the silence. "What do you have planned for today?"

She glanced over at him a moment then responded. "My family is planning a birthday party at around eleven . . . then this afternoon I'm supposed to go out to the movies and early dinner with some friends." She looked down a moment. "You're welcome to come if you want."

Byron shook his head. "No . . . I would be too much of a wet blanket among your family and friends." He thought for a minute then continued. "Could we meet later this evening for a late snack or something?"

She nodded. "That would be fine . . . There's a great old ice cream place about six blocks up the street from your hotel. How about we meet there at around eight tonight?"

He agreed to the idea just as they arrived at their destination. Their breakfast was strewn with quiet conversation about the weather and current events. Afterward Jennifer walked him back to his hotel. With a quick chaste kiss they parted.

Byron spent the rest of the morning in his room thinking. Trying to sort out his feelings. His mind kept circling around the near impossibility of being in Jennifer's father's presence. Around noon he gave up in despair and went down to the little sandwich shop for a bite of lunch, after which he returned to his room. By about three he became so restless that he decided to go out for a movie. He chose the currently popular blockbuster and let the over-the-top action wash over him. By the time he left the theater his mind was a lot calmer. He took a taxi to the bistro out on Long Island next to the theater where he and Jennifer had seen the 'Lord Of the Rings' movies.

As he ate he tried to recapture the emotions and ambiance that had permeated those days that they had spent together. He was only marginally successful. He did love Jennifer very much but now his love for her was all mixed up with his unreasoning fear of lions and his worry about disquieting concerns about her genetics. Somehow he needed to find his way back to the way things were before yesterday's disaster and all of its unnerving ramifications.

Finally it was time and at ten-to-eight he entered the old fashioned ice cream parlor. Jennifer was there waiting for him. Her frown became a tentative smile as she saw him approach. After some discussion they ordered a giant banana split for two.

They talked about the last four years. They both admitted that they still wanted to try to keep their relationship alive. They both admitted that they were in love with each other. They talked about everything but the elephant in the room, Byron's fear. They finally left close to midnight.

They walked back to the hotel and stood for a moment on the sidewalk near the front door, neither sure what to say.

Byron was the first to break the silence. "Well . . . It's getting late and I have an early flight out tomorrow morning." He gave her arms a squeeze. "You will be there to see me off won't you?"

Jennifer nodded. "Of course I'll be there."

A quick hug ended up dragging out longer than expected. It was followed by a kiss that still held promise then they separated. Byron entered the hotel and Jennifer walked home.

~ BnB ~

The next morning seemed to come too soon. As he was closing his small suitcase the phone rang. It was Jennifer. She was waiting in the lobby to take him to the airport. She didn't talk a lot during the drive and it was obvious to Byron that she had a lot on her mind this morning.

At the security check point they stopped and faced each other. Jennifer looked down her mind still whirling with a dozen thoughts as she reaffirmed the decision she had come to last night. She looked up. "I've made up my mind." She took a deep breath. "I've decided that I want to go to the University of Texas to get my Masters." She took another deep breath. "It's going to take a lot of work if I'm going to make this thing between us work out. To do that I'm going to have to stay very close to you."

Byron took her in his arms and kissed her. The kiss finally broke and he continued to hold her tight. Both of them were completely unaware of the smiling looks they received from the people that swarmed around them. Eventually Byron spoke. "It won't be easy getting past my fears. You may find me a very tough nut to crack."

Jennifer nodded, her head still pressed against his chest. "I'm a very stubborn woman. Just ask my mother. And I have no intention of giving up on you." She pulled back and looked up into his eyes, with a glint of determination as she patted his chest over his heart. "I have at least two years of school to teach this old Texas dog to play nice with the family cats."

Byron couldn't help but chuckle at her phasing. "I almost look forward to it?" He grinned back at her. "It will certainly be an adventure." He kissed her once more the headed for the security checkpoint. He walked to his gate with a spring in his step and hope in his heart.

**_The End (for now)_**

_Look for part three of this trilogy **'The Girl, The Gold Ring and Everything' **coming out sometime this fall._

* * *

'**Beauty and the Beast'** and its characters are owned by Witt-Thomas Productions and Republic Pictures. No infringement on copyrights is intended. This story is presented merely for the enjoyment of fans. Original concepts and story elements may be used by other authors as long as appropriate credit is given.


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